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Value of seized smuggled, counterfeit goods hits record Sh244m
Counterfeit goods that were destroyed in 2018. Previous estimates by KMA show that 70 percent of counterfeit products entering Kenya originated from Asia.
The value of smuggled and counterfeit goods seized at the various entry points, including the Mombasa port, hit a record Sh243.5 million in the year to December 2024, up from Sh200 million the previous year, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has said.
KRA Commissioner of Customs and Border Control, Lilian Nyawanda, said the bulk of the seizures were recorded in the last six months of 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.
“This was supported by the enhanced intelligence-based multi-agency team (MAT) 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.
The inspection of cargo at the port of Mombasa is currently done by the KRA, the Kenya Bureau of Standards, the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service and the Kenya Ports Authority.
Previous estimates by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers show that 70 percent of counterfeit products entering Kenya originated from Asia.
Dr Nyawanda said KRA has introduced measures to improve 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 that has streamlined payments and transshipments through a single e-slip.
“Our focus is to enhance customs compliance, strengthen border management and security, streamline and simplify procedures, and foster trade facilitation. At the core of these efforts is the continuous expansion of our IT infrastructure to meet the ever-evolving needs of the business community,” said the commissioner.
KRA Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga said there has been improved efficiency at cargo clearing points, pointing out that the time taken to release goods from the Mombasa port, inland container depots and the Kenya Railways Corporation sheds has reduced by 54 percent over the last three years.
“The duration of time to release goods has also recently dropped to an average of 51.43 hours from 112.6 hours in 2021/2022. This translates to a duration of slightly above two days compared to the previous duration of slightly above four days,” he said.
KRA registered a 4.9 percent increase in customs revenue after collecting Sh791.36 billion in the 2023/2024 financial year, compared to the same period in the 2022/2023 financial year, representing an 11.1 percent general revenue growth after the taxman collected Sh2.4 trillion in 2023/2024.
