The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has established trade facilitation centers in Kainuk, Lodwar, and Kakuma to spur activities along the Northern Corridor, a critical trade route linking Kenya with South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda.
- The centres, which are also part of the LAPSSET Corridor, are designed to support cargo monitoring along the corridor and facilitate exports and trade in Kenya.
- The facilities also form part of the Eastern Africa Regional Transport, Trade, and Development Facilitation Project (EARTTDFP), funded by the World Bank.
- They will help ease congestion at the Malaba and Busia border posts, and significantly reduce transit time for cargo moving from Mombasa to South Sudan.
“The facilities are critical in the movement of goods within this region and are expected to enhance KRA’s operations along the South Sudan link road. Establishing these centres will further expand KRA’s footprint in the county, bringing the Authority’s services closer to the people,” stated KRA Commissioner General, Humphrey Wattanga.
They will host KRA staff, including the Rapid Response Unit and Enforcement teams, which play a crucial role in ensuring the safe movement of goods by providing security for trucks from the Port of Mombasa to their destinations along the Northern Corridor. This is expected to curb challenges such as robberies, smuggling, and cargo dumping.
“In terms of trade facilitation, we are bringing services closer to the community, which will likely lead to a surge in economic activities. Turkana was selected due to its strategic location as a gateway to South Sudan, and the centres will enable seamless movement of goods and people along the Lokichar-Nadapal-Nakodok route,” Commissioner for Customs & Border Control (C&BC), Dr. Lilian Nyawanda added.
KRA plans to establish additional border points along the corridor to facilitate smoother trade flows, enhance revenue collection, and further open up the country to economic opportunities. This will also help close the porous borders that has facilitated revenue leakage through illicit trade.
