The crackdown, KRA says, has significantly curtailed illicit cross-border trade while strengthening lawful commerce.The Kenya Revenue Authority’s Marine Unit has stepped up its fight against smuggling and illicit trade on Lake Victoria, sealing revenue loopholes and driving a sharp rise in collections at Kisumu Port.
In the 2023-24 financial year, the Marine Unit intercepted uncustomed goods valued at Sh3.19 million and recovered Sh1.6 million in revenue from enforcement operations targeting smugglers using unauthorised lake routes.
The crackdown, KRA says, has significantly curtailed illicit cross-border trade while strengthening lawful commerce.
“We’ve greatly reduced illegal cross-border trade while promoting legitimate commerce through proper customs channels,” said Dominic Kengara, Chief Manager, Customs Western Region.
He was speaking during a media familiarisation session at the Kisumu Port.
Kengara said the authority has intensified surveillance across Kenya’s territorial waters on Lake Victoria, deterring attempts to move contraband goods, narcotic drugs, weapons, and other prohibited items through the lake borders.
Among the most commonly smuggled products are illicit liquor, timber, livestock and sugar — items often ferried by small-scale traders seeking to evade customs procedures.
The KRA official also pointed to the revitalisation of Kisumu Port as a major factor in the region’s growing trade volumes.
In the 2024-25 financial year, revenue collected at the port rose to Sh107 million, up from Sh30 million the previous year — a more than threefold increase attributed to improved marine operations, expanded clearance systems and tighter oversight.
Sugar imports from Tanzania and Uganda were cited as the main revenue driver.
Between May and August 2025 alone, about 4,600 metric tonnes of sugar were imported through Kisumu Port, generating over Sh170 million in duties and taxes.
Exports have equally gained traction, with regular consignments of petroleum products, ceramic tiles, wheat, and fertiliser now flowing through the port.
Kengara said the increased marine clearance has also helped decongest the Busia and Malaba One Stop Border Posts, noting that “one vessel exporting petroleum products is equivalent to 135 trucks transporting similar consignments via land routes.”
The success of the Marine Unit’s operations underscores KRA’s broader effort to modernise border management and secure national revenue through innovative enforcement and efficient customs practices.
By combining enhanced surveillance with renewed partnerships across East Africa, the agency is positioning Kisumu Port as a hub for lawful regional trade.
