Why does Kenya insist on licences?

The Kenya Revenue Authority insists that all trucks transiting from Kenya must obtain transit goods licences (TGL).

These TGLs are categorised differently in the following ways: Trucks ferrying fuel have to pay $400 for truck and tanker per year and trucks ferrying cargo pay $150 for trucks and trailers.

This requirement for TGL applies to Kenyan manufactured goods exported to neighbouring countries as well as to trucks carrying fuel bought through the open tender system by petroleum companies in the northern corridor.

However, other East African countries that these goods transit through such as Tanzania and Uganda do not apply the same requirement for Kenyan goods transiting through their countries to Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and Southern Sudan.

On inquiry from Uganda Revenue Authority, they claim that they have raised this with their counterparts in Kenya without any justification as to why Kenya implements something while its sister countries, who allow the use of their roads for the transit of goods to and from Kenya do not.

This begs the question: ‘Is this a ploy by KRA to raise more money or are they going to follow the other community countries?’

Peter Ssempebwa,
passempebwa@yahoo.com