Kenya Revenue Authority has launched a marine unit to step up the fight against illicit trade on Kenyan waterways.

The unit comprises of three speedboats and manpower that will be used to securer boarder points in Mombasa and Kisumu.

The marine unit was launched in a colourful ceremony officiated by an Assistant Minister for Finance, Hon. Dr. Oburu Odinga at the Kilindini port, Mombasa on 26th January 2009.

Dr. Oburu said that with the launch of the unit, KRA will be able to patrol the country’s borders especially in the wake of increased terrorist threats and trade in illicit goods.

In his address, the KRA Board Chairman Mr. Leonard Mwangola said the acquisition of the boats and subsequent establishment of the marine unit was a culmination of efforts to strengthen the enforcement function within KRA.

He said the boats will be deployed in the expansive Kenyan waters, which have hitherto been greatly unmonitored due to deficient capability.

“The Authority will now be better placed to ward of maritime threats, including terrorism, arms and drug trafficking. This will greatly complement government’s security efforts to safeguard our national waters along the Indian Ocean and within Lake Victoria”, he said.

The Commissioner General Mr. M.G. Waweru said that the setting up of a marine unit was in line with the Customs Services Department’s role of protecting the country’s land and sea borders from entry of illegal and harmful goods as well as unauthorized people.

He said whereas the government had been effective in protecting the country’s land borders, management of the coastline had been a challenge due to its partly porous nature and partly due to lack of necessary tools and equipment.
“In order to effectively control our lake and sea borders, the Authority decided to establish a marine unit to patrol the country’s territorial waters as part of its reforms and modernisation initiatives,” he said.

He added that the establishment of the marine unit when combined with other modern and non-intrusive enforcement tools, such as the X-ray scanners, will provide effective solutions to counter threats to national security.

Present during the launch were Commissioner Customs Services Department Ms. Wambui Namu, Commissioner Support Services Mr. Mumo Matemu, KRA board members among other senior government officials.