Border staff moved over smuggling

Busia One Stop Border Post. [File]

The Ministry of Interior and Coordination has transferred public servants who have been working at three border posts in western Kenya.

The officers have been moved from the one-stop border posts in Busia and Malaba in Busia County, as well as the Lwakhakha border in Bungoma County.

The affected workers were assigned to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs), Department of Immigration Services, National Police Service and the ministry of Health.

The sweeping changes were made through a letter dated March 2 from the ministry that is headed by Fred Matiang'i. According to the letter, the staff are to be deployed elsewhere 'with immediate effect'.

The letter was copied to Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache, Inspector General Hilary Mutyambai, Director General of Immigration Services Alexander Muteshi, KRA Commissioner General James Mburu and Kebs Managing Director Bernard Njiraini.

“Following deliberations on the performance of Lwakhakha, Busia and Malaba border management committees, it has been decided that all officers deployed at these respective points of entry and exit be re-deployed and new officers deployed accordingly,” read the letter in part.

The changes come amid concerns of an upsurge in contraband goods from Uganda despite the presence of a multi-agency team at the border tasked with stopping the smuggling of goods such as milk, sugar, alcohol, ethanol, cosmetics and cigarettes, among others.