The Kenya Revenue Authority has intercepted smuggled goods worth an estimated KSh46.77 million after uncovering a consignment hidden inside a Simba Coach passenger bus travelling along the Uganda-Kenya route.
KRA said the seized goods included cigarettes, shisha tobacco products and powdered milk, with taxes estimated at KSh29.177 million at risk.
The interception followed an intelligence-led operation targeting suspected smuggling activities along the Uganda-Kenya corridor.
According to KRA, intelligence indicated that a suspected smuggler was using the passenger bus to transport excisable goods sourced from Uganda through unofficial border routes to Busia, before the consignment was moved onwards to Nairobi.
KRA enforcement officers mounted an operation in Eldoret after receiving information on the suspected movement of the goods.
The suspect allegedly spotted the enforcement team and fled, triggering a pursuit that ended at Kondoo in the Burnt Forest area, where officers detained the individual.
The bus was subsequently escorted back to Eldoret and taken to a KRA warehouse for further inspection.
A detailed search uncovered specially configured compartments inside the passenger bus that had allegedly been used to conceal the goods.
The consignment included ORIS cigarettes valued at approximately KSh30.6 million, shisha tobacco and accessories estimated at KSh8.4 million, and powdered milk products valued at about KSh7.77 million.
KRA said the cigarettes included 146 cartons of ORIS Double Apple Slim cigarettes, while the shisha consignment included various tobacco flavours and accessories.
The powdered milk included LATO Whole Milk Powder and NAN Optipro products.
The tax authority said the use of specially constructed compartments demonstrates the increasingly sophisticated methods allegedly being used to evade enforcement along major transportation routes.
Beyond the immediate seizure, the operation highlights the wider economic impact of illicit trade on Kenya’s formal economy.
KRA said its enforcement operations are aimed at protecting government revenue, safeguarding legitimate businesses from unfair competition, protecting consumers and enforcing tax and customs laws.
For legitimate importers and manufacturers, smuggled products can create an uneven playing field where businesses that comply with taxes and regulatory requirements compete with goods that allegedly enter the market without the same costs.
The latest interception comes as KRA continues to strengthen intelligence, surveillance and enforcement along major border points and transportation corridors.
The bus and intercepted goods have been placed in KRA custody as investigations into the suspected smuggling operation continue.
About the Author
