NAIROBI – The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has uncovered a major smuggling attempt involving a truck loaded with illicit cigarettes believed to have been produced in Uganda and illegally brought into Kenya. The consignment is estimated to have cost the country around Sh70 million in unpaid customs duties and taxes.
The truck, pulling a 40-foot container, was intercepted in Busia County after an intelligence-guided operation mounted by KRA’s Customs and Investigations Directorate alongside other enforcement agencies.
Investigators tracked the vehicle along the Busia–Mumias Road, where it was found carrying approximately 1,500 cartons of Supermatch cigarettes. The driver was unable to produce the required import documents, and the container’s Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System (RECTS) seal had been deliberately tampered with to disguise the consignment’s movement.
KRA said the truck and its cargo have since been impounded and secured at the Kisumu Customs Warehouse while investigations continue to determine the full network behind the smuggling.
Officials believe the cigarettes originated in Uganda and were illegally transported across the border into Kenya, bypassing customs checks and tax obligations.
KRA Commissioner for Customs and Border Control, Dr. Lilian Nyawanda, said the operation highlights the Authority’s heightened vigilance against cross-border contraband and revenue fraud.
“Illicit trade denies the country critical tax income and poses health risks to consumers. Our teams are working tirelessly to dismantle these cross-border smuggling rings,”
— Dr. Nyawanda stated.
Under the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA), offenders risk confiscation of goods, loss of transport vehicles, fines of up to $10,000 or half the value of the goods, and prison terms of up to five years.
KRA has stepped up its border patrols and intelligence-sharing operations in collaboration with regional partners to curb the rising flow of illicit cigarettes and other contraband products into Kenya.