KWS, KRA, KPA officials grilled over increased smuggling at port

A parliamentary committee has questioned top officials of the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS), Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Kenya Revenue (KRA) over smuggling and illegal ivory trade through the port of Mombasa.

The officials were asked by the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Environment and Natural Resources why the port had become a conduit for illegal ivory trade. 

During the four-hour sessions last Thursday, Kiambu Member of Parliament Jude Njomo and acting committee chairman Khatib Mwashetani demanded an explanation about a recent consignment of Kenyan ivory intercepted in Singapore and Thailand.

In his response, the KRA Deputy Commissioner of  Customs, Mr Nicholas Kinoti, said dealers of contraband goods and ivory were taking advantage of a loophole which revolved around the frequent breakdown of old scanners used at the port

 “We need an inter-agency scanning process that involves the National Security Service, KPA, KRA and other security agencies,” said Kinoti in response to a question on the lack of a fool-proof scanning mechanism raised by Bungoma MP Dr Reginalda Wanyonyi.

Kinoti called on the committee to push for an amendment of regulations so that shipping lines are required to submit their manifests 24 hours before travel instead of the current four hours to allow for a more thorough scrutiny.

He said the officer handling the consignment intercepted in Singapore had been suspended almost immediately after the interception mid May.

Kinoti further disclosed that the shipping agent handling the consignment had been suspended. He said an inter-agency investigation was still ongoing involving the KRA and KPA.  To curb smuggling through the port, the stuffing of containers will be done under the supervision of KRA officers, said Kinoti.

However, the official observed that illegal ivory trade and smuggling would continue as long as the country had porous borders and called for the setting up of a border patrol agency involving the military, the immigration department, police, KPA and KRA. 

The Chief Manager KRA port operations, Mr Kenneth Ochola, told the committee that the port  lacked the manpower  and equipment to curb smuggling. “Lack of human capacity makes it impossible to verify and witness the stuffing of all containers,” said Ochola.

He called for the acquisition of modern scanners and said the ones they use at the port are old and inefficient. Ochola said smugglers and ivory dealers could be taking advantage of a recent directive that exempts transit cargo from scanning.

Three key suspects — Abdulrahman Mahmoud Sheikh, Sheikh Mahmoud Abdulrahman and Mahmoud Abdulrahman Sheikh —  were arrested on April 27, at Diani in Kwale County as they returned from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

Police said the suspects were involved in a trafficking syndicate of wildlife trophies to Thailand and Singapore and were detained for six days pending a request by the State that they be detained for 30 days.