In an active campaign to curb tax evasion schemes in order to boost revenue compliance, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) enforcement teams have intercepted a consignment of 21,600 undeclared units of high-end smartphones worth Sh16,102,137 in tax at the Eldoret International Airport.
The consignment, part of the consolidated items that include 5000 declared units of smartphones worth Sh6.4 million, shoes, clothes, auto spare parts, household items and other electronic accessories, was intercepted following an intelligence report.
The Ag. Commissioner of Investigations and Enforcement, Levi Mukhweso, observed that the consignments were consigned to Pemba Cargo Limited and were declared by Portyard Limited through a cargo plane that arrived on 18th September, 2025.
Investigations have established that the declarations of the goods were done either expressly or under consolidated cargo under each category.
The tax evasion scheme is in contravention of section 203 of the East Africa Community Customs Act (EACCMA) 2004 which states in part that a person who, in any matter relating to the Customs makes any entry which is false or incorrect in any particular, or in any way is knowingly concerned in any fraudulent evasion of the payment of any duty commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars.
KRA is actively engaged in unearthing tax evasion schemes in order to boost tax revenue compliance as well as adherence to tax laws and procedures, hence ensuring fair trade is maintained within the market.
By Ekuwam Sylvester
