The Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Emergency Response Team (ERT)of the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit has been ranked the best in tactical shooters at both stationary and moving targets.
The team represented the country in the 2025 Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO) Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) Challenge held in Rwanda.
Kenya came first in the tactical event having completed the task in a record 72 seconds without any violation to the set rules.
DCI Squad master shooter
The squad emerged the best under the stewardship of Engineer Sammy Onyango who is the master shooter. He also serves as the team’s trainer and mentor. Rwanda and South Sudan also registered great performances.
The Kenyan team also recorded a stellar performance in the assault event. It ranked second after Rwanda.
Also Read: DCI Clarifies Reports of Forming Anti-Abduction Squad
Handing medals to the Kenyan team and the highly coveted trophy to the Head of ERT Chief Inspector Alvince Osura, Inspector General of Rwanda National Police, and the Chief Guest, Felix Namuhoranye lauded the team’s agility, swiftness, and mental strength.
In the Obstacle Crossing event held on day one of the competition, the swift and sharp-witted Rwanda National Police SWAT teams wriggled away in record time, leaving South Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia, Tanzania, Seychelles, and Uganda In the event, Kenya came fourth after South Sudan.
SWAT challenge event
Namuhoranye serves as the Chaiperson of EAPCCO. In his closing remarks, he encouraged continued participation in the global sphere to enhance its skills further. He also commended the Inspector Generals for allowing their teams to participate in the event.
This was the first ever SWAT challenge for the EAPCCO to be conducted since the formation of the co-operation. It was concluded on Thursday, January 30, 2025, at the Counter Terrorism Training Centre (CTTC) Mayange in Bugesera District in Rwanda.
Also Read: IG Douglas Kanja and DCI Amin Finally Show Up in Court
The competition took place after a week of joint training to foster regional cooperation and synergize the teams’ efficiency in counter-terrorism operations. The teams embarked on an annual competition that focused on assessing each team’s capacity in three major categories: Obstacle crossing, Tactical event (hostage rescue), and Assault.
EAPCCO member countries are Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Comoros, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Seychelles, and Somalia.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and join our WhatsApp Group for real-time news updates.