The Directorate of Criminal Investigation has been ranked the top investigative agency in Africa by a new study.

This followed a survey conducted by research and survey firm, Kenya Trak, which provides insights and data analysis across various sectors in the country.

The survey evaluated various agencies' effectiveness in tackling significant criminal cases, their operational capabilities and their adoption of innovative investigative methods.

The DCI, under Director Mohamed Amin, has teams dedicated to handling everything from cybercrime to terrorism, money laundering, and espionage.

The agency topped the rankings with an 82 per cent approval rating, attributed to its significant achievements in combating crime and curbing corruption cases.

It was followed by Ghana’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) with a 76 per cent rating.

Uganda’s investigative agencies came in third with a 74 per cent rating followed by Ethiopia’s National Bureau of Investigations with a 68 per cent approval rating.

Morocco’s General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST) closed the top five with a 64 per cent rating.

The DCI’s impressive performance was largely boosted by partnerships with other investigative agencies around the world that has ensured it remains consistent in the pursuit of excellence in investigations.

Among the investigative entities the agency has partnered with are Interpol, FBI, the German Agency for International Cooperation, and the National Crime Agency.

The partnerships have mainly been on sharing expertise, training investigators, and adopting technology to enhance investigative capacity in various areas including cybercrime, forensic investigations, anti-terrorism, and anti-narcotics, among other areas.

"Their close partnerships with global agencies mean they're not only solving local cases but are key players in international investigations too," Kenya Trak said.

DCI’s capacity to crack complex cases was boosted with the unveiling of the construction of the National Forensic Laboratory on June 13, 2022.

In 2024, DCI introduced 10 advanced forensic labs at the facility, boosting their ability to track digital crime and organised gangs and effectively moving Kenya closer to international standards in investigative prowess.

Until the unveiling of the Sh4 billion lab, investigations requiring forensic analysis of evidence were lengthy as samples had to be sent to South Africa for toxicological analysis.

But with the establishment of the facility, which hosts 10 labs, it became easier for detectives to crack open cases such as rape, defilement, terrorism, robbery with violence, kidnapping, and drug trafficking.