It is not right that even after the government has invested billions of shillings in tightening clearance procedures at the port and taking them online, unscrupulous officials are still able to clear containers manually.
Obviously, this is denying the government much-needed revenue, but also, constitutes a security threat to the country where dangerous material can easily be allowed in.
It also has the effect of damaging the reputation of the port, which will be costly in an environment of intense competition with fellow East African ports for business.
The reported smuggling scandal at the port of Mombasa is a pointer to a failure in systems meant to prevent such acts at the key gateway, and will take more than a few arrests to resolve permanently.
It is not right that even after the government has invested billions of shillings in tightening clearance procedures at the port and taking them online, unscrupulous officials are still able to clear containers manually.
Obviously, this is denying the government much-needed revenue, but also, constitutes a security threat to the country where dangerous material can easily be allowed in.
It also has the effect of damaging the reputation of the port, which will be costly in an environment of intense competition with fellow East African ports for business.
The damage extends beyond finances, with security agencies saying that the port has become a key exit point for game trophies poached in East Africa meant to be shipped to Asia.
It has also been flagged as a key entry point for drugs bound for Europe via East Africa.
On the trade side, the importance of the port cannot be overstated. It is a vital artery not just for Kenya’s trade, but also that of the country’s landlocked neighbours, including Uganda and South Sudan.
Key exports such as coffee and tea are shipped out through this gateway, while it also handles the bulk of the country’s imports.
This is why the systems put in place to enable seamless trade and protect legitimate businesses from unfair competition from rivals who are not paying duty are made to work.
This is not to say that those officials helping to smuggle containers should not be pursued and prosecuted.
If anything, combining the prosecution of these officials with a review of the security systems is the only way to ensure that the problem is solved once and for all.
Pursuing them without changing the system will only mean that the new ones deployed will soon enough be co-opted into the racketeering.
At the same time, improving the clearance system while retaining the crooked officials will only see them come up with new ways to circumvent the measures in place.
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