Why Western Kenya is a hub for fake cigarettes

dnCOUNTERFEIT2009xc

Provincial administration officers impound counterfeit alcohol and cigarettes in Kakamega Town. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Increased interception of fake cigarettes from Uganda has now shone the spotlight on the impact the free movement of people and products within the region under the East African Community (EAC) Common Market protocol is having on Kenya’s tobacco industry.

Increased inflow of illicit tobacco products has seen Western Kenya, with its porous borders, turn into a thriving hub for contraband cigarettes arriving from neighboring Uganda and Tanzania.

PAYE Tax Calculator

Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.