Illicit trade of fast-moving goods in Kenya has been on the rise in recent years. The trade poses unfair competition to legally trading products and presents health risks to unsuspecting buyers. Some of the major victims of illicit trade are government agencies like the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and big companies like BAT Kenya and EABL.
The Kenya Revenue Authority alongside other government agencies namely, the Kenya Bureau of Standards, Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA), Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government in the Office of the President, and NACADA, yesterday destroyed illicit excisable goods worth KSh1 billion at Stoni Athi, Kajiado County.
Some of the goods destroyed were 60 drums of raw spirit, 379,760 bottles of spirits, 35,615 bottles of beer, 11,000 bottles of wine, and 197,000 packets of cigarettes. The officials also destroyed rolls of fake excise stamps during the exercise.
The goods were seized from different shops in Nairobi county and the neighboring counties. KRA estimates that the illicit trade would have led to the loss of over KSh400 million in excise duty.
The revenue agency said that the excise underscored the government’s determination to eliminate illicit trade within the Kenyan borders and KRA’s commitment to promoting legitimate trade in the country.
Also read: Illicit Trade Costs Kenya KSh100 Billion in Revenue
