Value of seized poor quality and smuggled goods hits Sh244m
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Times Tower, the Kenya Revenue Authority's head office in Nairobi. PWDs can apply for an income tax exemption certificate from KRA to lower their tax burden.
The value of smuggled and counterfeit products seized at various entry points, including the Mombasa port, hit a record Sh243.5million in the year to December 2024, up from Sh200 million the previous year, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) said.
KRA Commissioner of Customs and Border Control Lilian Nyawanda said the bulk of the seizures were recorded between June and December 2024.
“KRA has ramped up enforcement efforts by establishing patrol bases and inland border control checkpoints along key smuggling routes, particularly in areas lacking formal border stations and monitoring systems,” she said.
Smuggling hotspots
“This was supported by the enhanced intelligence-based multi-agency team surveillance and patrols, mapping out smuggling hotspots leading to successful interception of illicit goods worth Sh243.5 million nationwide between July and December last year,” Dr Nyawanda added.
Inspection of cargo in Mombasa is done by KRA, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service and the Kenya Ports Authority.
Previous estimates by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers show that 70 per cent of counterfeit products entering Kenya come from Asia.
Dr Nyawanda said KRA has introduced measures to enhance cargo surveillance and clearance including the introduction of X-ray cargo scanners for non-intrusive inspection of consignments, smart gates for automated vehicle and cargo clearance, and the web-checkout functionality, which has streamlined payments and transshipments via a single e-slip.