- KRA has intensified its crackdown on suspected sugar smuggling following interceptions in Turkana and Kakamega counties.
- Multiple enforcement operations have exposed consignments allegedly moved without the required customs procedures.
- The tax authority has warned traders and transporters of penalties for handling uncustomed goods.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has seized about 46 tonnes of uncustomed sugar in Lodwar, Turkana County, in an intelligence-led operation targeting the illicit movement of sugar through Kenya’s border corridors.
The operation, conducted by KRA’s Investigation and Enforcement Team at about 2:00 a.m. yesterday, led to the interception of two lorries carrying a combined 920 bags of sugar, each weighing 50 kilogrammes. Each lorry was carrying about 460 bags. On verification, the consignment was identified as KALIRO-branded sugar.
The consignment has an estimated tax implication of about Ksh9.73 million, representing revenue that could have been lost had the goods entered the market. Preliminary investigations indicate that the sugar was smuggled into Kenya from Moroto, Uganda, through Nadapal. No applicable taxes were paid, and the required customs procedures were not followed.
In a statement, KRA said the seizure is part of its ongoing efforts to disrupt networks involved in the illicit movement of sugar. The Authority said it also aims to protect public health and government revenue, and to safeguard compliant businesses from the unfair competition created by smuggled goods.
In a separate operation in Kakamega County, KRA enforcement officers intercepted a Probox motor vehicle carrying 30 bags of brown sugar, each weighing 50 kilogrammes. The consignment, valued at about Ksh1.524 million, was seized. The vehicle was escorted to Matungu Police Station, where it and the exhibits were detained.
In another operation in the same area, KRA officers intercepted a lorry suspected of transporting smuggled sugar after a pursuit along Mumias Road in Matungu, Kakamega County. The vehicle had been flagged down for a compliance check, but the driver failed to stop, prompting officers to give chase.
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The driver and two other occupants later abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Police officers managed to apprehend one of the suspects, who was taken into custody to assist with investigations. An inspection of the abandoned lorry established that it was carrying 100 bags of sugar, each weighing 50 kilogrammes. The consignment has an estimated value of Ksh500,000, with taxes at risk amounting to about Ksh3,002,500.
The three interceptions demonstrate KRA’s continued use of intelligence-led enforcement to disrupt the illicit movement of goods and protect Kenya’s tax base. The Authority is strengthening surveillance and enforcement along border routes and other corridors vulnerable to smuggling, particularly those used to move high demand commodities such as sugar.
KRA is also implementing measures to enhance compliance and protect legitimate trade following changes to the taxation of imported sugar under the Finance Act, 2026. The applicable excise duty on imported sugar is Ksh40 per kilogramme. Further, a punitive charge of Ksh460 or 100 per cent, whichever is higher, is levied on any illegal sugar seized.
KRA cautioned individuals and businesses involved in the transportation, distribution and sale of uncustomed goods that such activities are illegal. They may result in the seizure of the goods and conveyances, financial penalties and prosecution in accordance with the law.
The Authority further urged members of the public to report suspected cases of smuggling and tax evasion through its established reporting channels. Public support and timely sharing of information remain critical in disrupting smuggling networks, protecting government revenue and promoting a level playing field for compliant businesses.
By Fredrick Odiero
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