Kenya Ranks Fourth in Africa for Money Laundering, Organised Crime

Former CBK chairperson Patrick Njoroge holding bank notes and someone counting USD Notes

Kenya has been ranked fourth among African countries most affected by organised crime and money laundering, according to the ENACT Africa Organised Crime Index 2025.

The country scored 7.1/10, trailing only the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa and Nigeria.

Kenya also emerged as the leading country in East Africa for cybercrime and financial crimes, both rated 8/10, underscoring its growing role as a regional hub for illicit financial flows.

The report shows that the average level of criminality across Africa rose to 5.11/10, with financial crimes recording the fastest growth. ENACT noted that state actors were implicated in nearly half of the continent’s most severely affected markets.

“The most pervasive criminal markets are financial crimes, human trafficking, non-renewable resource crimes, the trade in counterfeit goods, and arms trafficking,” the report stated.

ENACT identified state-embedded actors as the most influential criminal players across Africa, with severe infiltration reported in nearly half of the countries analysed.

Foreign criminal networks and private military companies were also cited as major contributors, exploiting fragile and conflict-prone regions to expand organised crime operations.

“State-embedded actors are the most prevalent type of criminal actor across the continent,” the report noted.

In Kenya, the presence of such actors has contributed to the expansion of money laundering schemes, financial fraud, and wash-and-wash deals, positioning the country as a key conduit for illicit funds in the region.

Africa Organised Crime Rankings

According to the Index, the top ten countries most affected by organised crime are the Democratic Republic of the Congo

• South Africa

• Nigeria

• Kenya

• Libya

• the Central African Republic

• Uganda

• Mozambique

• Sudan

• Somalia.

Regional Crime Trends

The report highlights sharp regional differences in criminal activity across Africa.

East Africa records some of the continent’s highest levels of human trafficking, arms trafficking and human smuggling, while North Africa is dominated by financial crimes and cannabis trade.

Central Africa continues to grapple with non-renewable resource crimes, West Africa remains a key corridor for cocaine trafficking, and Southern Africa faces persistent wildlife trafficking.

“East Africa stands out for its high human trafficking, arms trafficking, and human smuggling scores,” ENACT stated.

The Index attributes these patterns to geography, conflict dynamics, governance weaknesses and Africa’s position within global trafficking routes.