KRA to destroy uncollected vehicles at Customs warehouse

Some of the more than 100 vehicles which were crashed by the Kenya Revenue Authority last week for having over stayed at the port without the owners clearing them on May 12, 2018. [Gideon Maundu/Standard]

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is set to dispose of dozens of imported motor vehicles if their owners fail to collect them in the next one month.

In a gazette notice listing more than 170 vehicles belonging to individuals and companies, the taxman gave the owners until March 11 before the cars are disposed of from the Customs warehouse.

“Notice is given that unless the under-mentioned goods are entered and removed from the custody of the Customs warehouse keeper, Kilindini, within 30 days of this notice, they will be treated as abandoned and disposed of by crushing on March 11, 2020,” said the notice.

The vehicles range from personal saloon cars to large commercial lorries with some imported as far back as 2006.

KRA will also auction 120 consignments of assorted goods that have remained uncollected from the various ports of entry. These include communication equipment, pharmaceutical goods and personal effects.

KRA moves goods that have not been entered or removed by importers to the Customs warehouse within 21 days where they are held for another 30 days before the State gives the importers a 30-day notice for auction or disposal.

Earlier this year, the taxman announced it would be auctioning uncollected goods held at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The items in the list belonged to more than 400 private and public entities as well as individuals.

Some of the companies with uncollected goods included Telkom Kenya, Airtel, East African Breweries Ltd, Airbus Helicopters, Jambojet and Liquid Telecom.

Others were Toyota Kenya, Microsoft Kenya, Muthaiga Golf Club, Aga Khan Hospital, Kenya School of Monetary Studies and Coast General Hospital.