State moves to ease fears over tighter cargo controls

Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority Director General James Keter after a meeting with importers and traders in Nairobi on September 24, 2026. [Courtesy]

The government has moved to allay fears that ongoing reforms aimed at tightening export and import controls could stifle trade and cause delays in cargo clearance.

State agencies in cargo handling and clearance said on Thursday that the stricter regulatory controls being implemented were necessary to secure supply chains, improve compliance and protect the country from emerging risks.

Officials said the changes envisaged at the Port of Mombasa were also intended to enhance the port’s credibility and efficiency, thereby strengthening business and investor confidence.

The officials were addressing stakeholders in the cargo and trade sector during a sensitisation forum convened by the  Shippers Council of Eastern Africa (SCEA) in Nairobi.

The forum brought together importers, exporters, clearing agents and representatives of government agencies to discuss emerging regulatory requirements, including cargo screening by the Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KNRA), testing procedures, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) cargo declaration requirements and implementation of the National Environment Management Authority’s (NEMA) Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations and Pre-Verification of Conformity (PVoC) requirements.

SCEA chief executive Agayo Ogambi called on the more than 40 government agencies involved in cargo handling and clearance to harmonise their requirements to minimise duplication and delays.

Ogambi said improving efficiency would require adequate capacity at major entry points, particularly the Port of Mombasa and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

“We need adequate capacity at JKIA and at the ports,” he said, urging agencies to examine what could be done differently to make cargo clearance more efficient.

The forum comes as Kenya seeks to strengthen its cargo management systems while ensuring that regulatory requirements do not undermine the competitiveness of its ports and logistics sector.

KNRA Director General James Keter said the regulator was deploying specialised radiation screening systems for containerised cargo as part of efforts to strengthen nuclear and radiation safety and security.

“We are targeting 100 per cent of this cargo. We are also working with the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission and the Uganda Atomic Energy Board to enhance safety and security,” Keter said.

He said the authority was also preparing to undertake public participation on 13 regulations intended to strengthen Kenya’s regulatory framework for nuclear and radiation safety.

“We will soon be doing public participation on the 13 regulations that will help us safeguard our country from risks associated with nuclear and radiation,” he said.

KRA deputy commissioner for Trade Facilitation, Customs and Border Control explained to participants the legal basis and objectives of advanced cargo declarations, which are intended to improve risk management and facilitate faster processing of legitimate trade.

Traders and importers, however, raised concerns about multiple screening processes by different agencies, saying they could result in duplication and unnecessary delays.

They called for the establishment of a coordinated or single screening system through which agencies could share information and avoid conducting similar checks independently.

The stakeholders said greater coordination among regulatory agencies would help strike a balance between security, compliance and trade facilitation.

The forum was convened in response to emerging regulatory requirements and concerns raised by stakeholders, with the aim of promoting clarity, preparedness and compliance across the cargo and trade sector.