‘Namanga used to sneak in ethanol’

By Ponciano Odongo

Kenya: Namanga and Loitokitok borders may be the gateway through which chemicals used to manufacture killer brews are smuggled into the country, Kajiado County Commissioner Kobia Wakamau has revealed.

 Kobia spoke shortly after meeting Namanga Border Kenya Revenue Authority’s representatives and the county’s security committee. He said relevant authorities must deal with the problem.

Pointing an accusing finger at KRA officials, the county commissioner said two tanks carrying ethanol were recently intercepted on Namanga Road with KRA official seals yet investigations revealed that the importers had not only evaded tax, but had also ignored due process while crossing the border.

“We want to be told the cartel behind the importation of these products. It is illegal to transport such products without being taxed,” said the county commissioner.

The administrator said the county security committee was following up the matter. “This is unacceptable because the Government is losing millions of shillings in terms of revenues when such products cross the border without paying tax,” said Kobia.

He said after police intercepted the ethanol tanks, preliminary investigations showed that the country lost between Sh6 million and Sh7 million per truck.

He said to establish why such products are getting into the country, the relevant police department and KRA officials must investigate simultaneously and uncover the truth. Kobia said the county security committee had declared that it was not going to release one of the trucks after a court ruled so but instead were seeking to appeal over the matter.

Judicial authority

“The recent judgment by the court that one of the trucks be released is completely against the interest of Kenyans. We are asking the court to exercise its judicial authority in the interest of all Kenyans on the matter at hand,” he said.

The Kajiado county commissioner said it is important that the case of the first container goes to full hearing. He said it is important to uncover the owners of the containers and establish why they evade taxes.

One of the containers on a truck with Tanzanian number plate T325AZN/T270 BAT was recently found parked after crossing the Namanga border from Tanzania on April 19, 2014.