PS Omollo meets Italy's anti-mafia chief as Kenya studies urban crime-fighting models

Internal Security and National Administration Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo has held talks with senior Italian anti-mafia officials as Kenya continues to benchmark international security models ahead of the planned establishment of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit.

During his ongoing visit to Rome, Italy, Dr. Omollo met Brigadier General Renzo Nisi of the Guardia di Finanza, who also heads a department within Italy's Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate (DIA), to discuss strategies used in combating organized criminal networks.

The discussions focused on Italy's extensive experience in dismantling mafia-type organizations, with Kenyan officials seeking lessons that could help address organized criminal activity within Nairobi and other urban centres.

According to the Ministry of Interior, insights from Italy's anti-mafia framework could prove valuable in shaping the operational approach of the proposed Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit, particularly in tackling sophisticated criminal networks that infiltrate urban services and economic activities.

The engagement forms part of a broader benchmarking mission led by Dr. Omollo in Italy aimed at informing the structure and mandate of the new police unit.

Earlier, the Kenyan delegation held meetings with Italian security institutions to study Rome's multi-agency approach to public safety, policing, public order management, migration control and civil protection.

Italy's security architecture is widely recognised for its coordinated approach involving multiple agencies working under the oversight of the Ministry of Interior to manage security challenges in major urban centres.

The government says the lessons being gathered from Rome will support efforts to strengthen urban security, improve inter-agency coordination, enhance emergency response and boost crime prevention in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area.

The planned Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit is expected to play a central role in addressing emerging security threats associated with rapid urbanisation, population growth and increasingly complex criminal networks operating within the capital and its surrounding counties.

Officials say the benchmarking exercise is part of ongoing reforms aimed at modernising security operations and improving public safety through specialised and better-coordinated policing structures.