Drafters of a Bill seeking to impose trade controls on specific goods to curb national security threats convened to sensitise Senators, and seek their input on the proposed law.
A sensitization forum was held in Naivasha at the weekend where chairpersons and members of four Senate Standing Committees of Trade, Health, National Security and ICT gave views.
The Strategic Goods Control Bill 2025 targets nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological items whose diversion or misuse could endanger lives, according to the Interior ministry and the Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KNRA).
The drafters said such a legislation was important in the dynamic era of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said consultations were ongoing across sectors and among stakeholders, and that having such a law will be a milestone for Kenya.
Stiff penalties for violations
“We all remember the 1998 US embassy bombing in Nairobi,” he said.
KNRA Director General James Keter said: “In an era defined by rapid technological advancement in areas like Artificial Intelligence, and rising threats from terrorism and transnational crime, robust trade controls are essential. This is why enacting this Bill into law can’t wait.”
The Bill is originated by the Interior Ministry and is being polished by the Strategic Trade Control Committee co-chaired by Senior Deputy Secretary at Interior Mercy Maseru and Mr Keter. Its drafting stems from a Cabinet memo of March 10, 2015.
The draft proposes, among others, stiff penalties for violations, limiting of brokerage activities relating to strategic goods including those passing through Kenya, and requiring traders to apply for permits to manufacture, import or export specific goods in water-tight and trackable process overseen by a multi-agency strategic trade committee.
The proposed law seeks to promote safety, domesticate and fulfill Kenya’s obligations outlined under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540, established under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter.
Mr Edward Mayaka (right), the Director of Partnerships Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority with other experts at a forum on Strategic Goods Control Bill 2025 in Naivasha on May 9, 2025.
Photo credit: Pool
A list of strategic goods developed by the UN has been adopted by nations and includes items like ammunitions, bombs, tanks and imaging devices.
Strategic goods refer to items and technology including but not limited to conventional arms, military equipment and those that relate to the development, production and use of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
KNRA Director for Partnerships Edward Mayaka took participants through the gains of having such a legislation in place, especially in a region considered prone to attacks and which acts as a major transportation hub for items destined for the external market.
In a detailed presentation, Mr Mayaka said Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) materials, technologies, and related services are widely accessible due to their dual-use nature in civilian and military applications.
“Potential misuse and improper handling of these materials pose significant safety and security risks. As a result, there is an urgent need to establish a comprehensive legal framework governing the export, import, storage, use, re-export, transit, and trans-shipment of strategic goods, technologies and associated services,” he said.
