Filing STRs on Kenya’s goAML Portal

When you know or suspect that funds are linked to crime or terrorism, you must file a suspicious transaction report (STR). In Kenya, STRs are submitted to the Financial Reporting Centre through the goAML system. Here is how the process works.

What goAML is

goAML is a secure reporting platform developed by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and adopted by financial intelligence units worldwide, including Kenya’s FRC. Regulated institutions register on the platform and use it to submit STRs and other reports.

Recognising a reportable concern

An STR is triggered by knowledge or suspicion, not proof, that a transaction involves proceeds of crime or terrorist financing. Red flags include transactions with no clear economic purpose, structuring to avoid thresholds, reluctance to provide information, and activity inconsistent with the customer’s profile.

Internal escalation first

Frontline staff should not file directly. They escalate concerns to the reporting officer, who assesses whether the threshold for reporting is met and, if so, prepares and submits the STR through goAML within the timelines set by law.

After you file

Keep detailed records of the report and the reasoning behind it, and be mindful of “tipping off” rules, you must not alert the customer that a report has been made. A clear internal process is what makes reporting consistent, timely and defensible.