At the 13th Session of the Conference of Parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC COP 13) in Vienna, the Kenya delegation met Amb. Monica Juma, Executive Director of UNODC and Director General of the UN office in Vienna and reaffirmed Kenya's commitment to implementing the protocol and upholding Kenya as a regional focal point for UNODC in the fight against Human trafficking, Cyber Crime, terrorism, and other forms of transnational crime. H.E Amb. Edwin Afande, was honoured to join Head of delegation Hon. Judith Pareno, Principal Secretary, State Dept for Justice, Human Rights and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Shadrack Mose, Solicitor General and Dr. Aurelia Rono, Principal Secretary, State Dept of Parliamentary Affairs.

Austria is keen to deepen its engagement with Africa on three fronts: Trade, Energy, and Human Capital Development. At the 2026 Africa Day conference, this year's theme, “Africa Means Business,” could not have been more fitting. The conversations were not just about opportunities, but about how to translate shared ambitions into investments, stronger trade ties, and impactful partnerships At the Kenya stand, we were right at the heart of these conversations, engaging with investors, traders, entrepreneurs, and friends of Kenya to explore what our country has to offer. And, of course, what better way to spark such great conversations than over a cup of world-class Kenyan coffee? ☕ From local value addition and beneficiation to the creative economy, green energy, ICT, and the immense opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Kenya is positioning itself as a strategic partner and gateway to Africa. The future of Kenya-Austria relations has never looked brighter. The interest is real, the opportunities are immense, and the momentum is building. Africa means business. Kenya means business. And Kenya is ready for business! – at Vienna, Austria

H.E. Amb. Edwin Afande was elected Vice-President of the 13th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC COP13), which opened yesterday in Vienna. He joined the Head of Delegation, Hon. Judith Pareno, Principal Secretary, State Department for Justice, Human Rights & Constitutional Affairs and the Solicitor General, Hon. Shadrack John Mose, CBS at the opening of the Session. Convened biennially, the weeklong session brings States Parties together to Review progress in implementation of the Convention and strengthen global action against transnational organized crime. Hon. Pareno delivered the country statement underscoring the need for renewed collective commitment to effective implementation of the Convention and its Protocols, prioritizing among others, international cooperation, financial intelligence and asset recovery, human rights and regional cooperation. The Kenya delegation comprised a multi-agency team of experts including officials from the State Law Office, Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Witness Protection & Asset Recovery Agencies.

Nairobi is a city of limitless possibilities! At #AfricaDay2026 in Vienna on Monday 19th October, we will be showcasing the immense opportunities Kenya offers in trade, investment, tourism, technology and innovation. Visit the Kenya Stand to discover exciting opportunities for partnerships, investment and trade

𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐆𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐚 🇰🇪 The Embassy of Kenya in Vienna was proud to receive the Smart Gigacity Excellence Award on behalf of the State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy at the World Broadband Association (WBBA) Broadband Excellence Awards 2026, held in Vienna on 14 October 2026. Kenya was shortlisted alongside CTM and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. The award recognizes Konza Technopolis, Africa’s first #AI-operated Giga-City, developed by the Technopolis Development Authority, as a global model for gigabit-enabled urban development. Amb. Valerie RUGENE, Deputy Head of Mission, accepted the award on behalf of the Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy, Eng. Eng.John Kipchumba Tanui, CBS, CBS, and on behalf of the Government and people of Kenya. What made Konza stand out: ✅ A 79-km city-wide fibre backbone connecting businesses, institutions and homes ✅ Smart poles with CCTV and environmental sensors feeding the Intelligent Operations Center for real-time monitoring and faster response ✅ Smart drainage, a wastewater reclamation facility recycling up to 90% of treated water, and an automated underground waste-collection system ✅ The Konza National Data Center, providing secure cloud and hosting services to government and local businesses ✅ Academic partnerships with the Open University of Kenya, the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Riara University, linking research to enterprise and innovation Kenya accepts this honour not as the end of Konza’s journey, but as a call to accelerate it and to share a practical, replaceable model with cities across Africa. The recognition affirms the leadership of H.E. Dr. William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, and the sustained investment in fibre, data centers and digital public infrastructure under the Digital Superhighway. This is Kenya’s moment. This is Africa’s opportunity.

On the sidelines of the ongoing 55th session of UNCITRAL Working Group III on ISDS reform, H.E. Amb. Edwin Afande participated in a VIC Chat on Mediation alongside Prof. Teresa Cheng of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed), Siddharth Chatterjee, CEO of Global Neighbours; Anna Joubin-Bret, Director of UNCITRAL’s International Trade Law Division; and H.E. Matilda Alomatu, Permanent Representative of Ghana. Great insights into the role of IOMed in complementing existing dispute resolution platforms by providing an additional avenue for mediation, strengthening capacity-building, and advancing the peaceful resolution of disputes.

H.E. Ambassador Edwin Afande, today attended the opening ceremony of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) training course on Laboratory Identification of Illicit Drugs for Forensic Experts from Kenya and Tanzania, held at the UNODC Narcotics Laboratory in Vienna, Austria. Four forensic laboratory experts from Kenya participating in the training course will strengthen their technical capacity in the identification and analysis of illicit drugs and related substances using reliable, internationally recognized forensic methods. The training is facilitated by officials from UNODC’s Laboratory and Scientific Services: João Manuel de Abreu Silva Rodrigues, Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP) Expert and Lead Trainer, and Anne-Marie Fortin, Scientific Affairs Officer and Lead Trainer. Also in attendance was H.E. Naimi Aziz, Tanzania’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in Vienna, whose government is also benefiting from the training. Amb. Afande thanked the organizers for providing critical support towards Kenya’s fight against illicit drugs, noting that UNODC is scheduled to conduct a further training programme for frontline officers on the safe handling of synthetic drugs and their precursors in Nairobi from 2nd to 6th November 2026. The training will be delivered in collaboration with the Government Chemist Department under the Ministry of Interior and National Administration. @ForeignOfficeKE @InteriorKE – at Vienna, Austria

Kenya is firmly committed to reforming its criminal justice systems , and deepening international cooperation in crime prevention and criminal justice. At the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi, Kenya joined Member States in adopting the Abu Dhabi Declaration, a five-year framework for global cooperation on crime prevention and effective criminal justice. Building on these commitments, Kenya pledged to adopt a revised National Strategy on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice for 2026–2031. The Strategy will provide a framework for advancing domestic reforms and enhancing the effectiveness, accountability, inclusivity, and accessibility of Kenya’s criminal justice system. The Kenyan delegation was led by Hon. Judith Pareno, Principal Secretary, State Department for Justice, Human Rights and Constitutional Affairs. @Jnpareno was by H.E. Amb. Kenneth Nganga @abudhabi_kenyaE and Dr. Fatma Abdullatif @fatmafond1, Minister, Permanent Mission of Kenya in Vienna. On the sidelines of the Congress, Kenya joined the Africa Group in discussions with UNODC leadership on Africa’s priorities for the Office.

Many thanks dear colleagues @abudhabi_kenyaE for your support and hospitality.

A major boost for our industrial agenda.

We look forward to building on this fruitful engagement to further deepen our long-standing ties with Hungary and unlock the full potential of our relations.

” 🇰🇪🤝🇭🇷 Another step forward in deepening our friendship and cooperation .

From labour mobility to trade, investment, and artificial intelligence, our enduring partnership with Austria continues to yield opportunities for our peoples and strengthen collective action to address shared global challenges.

Advancing Kenya’s nuclear energy agenda at the IAEA. 🇰🇪Amb. @Edwinafande , PS @Profshaukat , and PS @IdrisDokota at the 70th IAEA General Conference.