The Kenya Revenue Authority Customs Department (KRA) made some rather unexpected confiscations of large quantity during just four months of operation this year at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport , the authority has revealed.
According to the KRA, during this period, the entry of expensive mobile phones and non-declaration of guns, drones, sex toys, drugs and other restricted or prohibited items have increased. The press event was held in attendance of Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, as well as the agency's leadership.
Moreover, 339 drones, seven guns, 18 toy guns, 11 magazines, eight handcuffs and 24 walkie-talkies were intercepted at the country's border as well.
All these things were seized from the passengers who underwent the KRA's passenger screening stations.
According to the local media, the authorities visit to the airport came amid reports that most tourists or Kenyans returning home are not aware of the custom's new rules, which in turn led to the increasing number of confiscations.
KRA Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga reminded that the intercepted goods must have permits, issued in accordance with the new governmental regulations.
"It is important to note that all goods intercepted at the Point of Entry, particularly firearms and drones, must have required permits issued by relevant state departments," Wattanga said on his X account (formerly known as Twitter).
He added that "visitors can retrieve their belongings at the exit point as they depart."
Some citizens were unhappy with the exposure of the confiscated items, "accusing the KRA of using diversionary tactics," according to the local media. Wattanga, however, stated that protection of the honor and dignity of passengers was the authority's priority.
"At the heart of our mission is ensuring that passengers are accorded the dignity and respect they deserve and seeing to it that their belongings are handled with grace," he wrote on X.
The commissioner ensured the JKIA visitors that the agency, along with the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, is set to "proactively inform" those arriving at the nation's airport about the needed procedures and paperwork for imported items "to ensure a smooth and hassle-free transition across our borders."
The official noted that tourism is a "key revenue generator for our country and we are dedicated to preserving and enhancing this vital sector."
Perhaps, the new regulations' clarification could be useful to none other than the nation's leader, President William Ruto himself. As the local media reported last week, since Ruto became president in 2022, he has made a total of 38 trips abroad, and has visited 45 cities in 83 days, overtaking his predecessors in scale of traveling during a term in office.