NAIROBI, Kenya,Jul 4- The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has stepped up efforts to combat human trafficking by training Kenya Airways frontline staff to identify trafficking victims, preserve evidence and strengthen referrals for investigation and prosecution at Kenya’s airports.The two-day capacity-building programme, conducted through the ODPP’s Counter Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) Division, brought together 112 Kenya Airways employees from key operational departments under the theme, “Combating Trafficking in Persons in the Aviation Sector: Awareness and Response Training for Kenya Airways Frontline Staff.”The training focused on enhancing the airline’s first line of defence against trafficking networks by equipping staff with practical skills to recognise indicators of human trafficking, protect victims and activate appropriate reporting and referral mechanisms while performing their daily duties.“The programme enhanced participants’ capacity to identify indicators of human trafficking, safeguard victims, apply appropriate reporting and referral mechanisms, and support investigations while carrying out their frontline responsibilities,” ODPP said.Principal Prosecution Counsel Brenda Nandwa, representing the ODPP, led sessions on Kenya’s legal framework governing trafficking in persons, investigation procedures, evidence collection, document examination and the critical role of collaboration between prosecutors, investigators and other criminal justice agencies in securing successful prosecutions.She also participated in an action-planning session aimed at strengthening coordination among agencies involved in responding to trafficking cases.The participants were drawn from Kenya Airways’ Travel Documents Unit, Rapid Response, Passenger Services, Investigations, Aviation Security, Cargo Security and Standards.According to the ODPP, the programme enhanced participants’ ability to identify potential victims, respond appropriately to suspected trafficking incidents and support law enforcement investigations while ensuring victims receive protection and assistance.The training was organised by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and CIVIPOL in partnership with the Government of Kenya under the Better Migration Management (BMM) Programme, with funding from the European Union and Germany.It also brought together experts from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Counter Trafficking in Persons Secretariat, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA), the Joint Operations Centre at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and other stakeholders.The multi-agency initiative seeks to strengthen coordinated efforts to prevent, detect and prosecute human trafficking within Kenya’s aviation sector, recognising airports as critical transit points where victims can be identified and rescued before exploitation occurs.The ODPP said strengthening the capacity of frontline aviation personnel is a key component of Kenya’s broader strategy to disrupt trafficking networks, improve victim protection and enhance successful prosecution of trafficking offences through coordinated action across government agencies and industry partners.