Tag: jkia news

Taxes on goods: Everything you need to know about KRA’s regulations at JKIA

Posted on by Ozymandias

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has established new regulations requiring travelers entering Kenya from international destinations to declare personal items valued at $500 (approximately Sh75,000) or more. This declaration requirement applies to a wide range of items, including:

  • Items purchased and carried upon returning to Kenya
  • Inherited items acquired abroad
  • Items purchased at duty-free shops, on ships, or on airplanes in excess of the permitted limits
  • Repairs or alterations made to items taken abroad and subsequently brought back, even if the services were provided free of charge
  • Items brought for others, including gifts
  • Items intended for personal or business use, including business items taken out of Kenya on the trip
  • Currency exceeding $10,000 or its equivalent must be declared at customs upon arrival

According to KRA, travelers must provide the actual purchase price of each item on the Passenger Declaration Form, expressed in US dollars. “The price should include all taxes. If you are unsure, estimate the value. If you did not personally purchase the item, such as if it is a gift, estimate its fair retail value in the country where you received it,” KRA stated.

KRA emphasized that even if an item was used during the trip, it remains subject to customs duty. “You must declare the item at the price you paid or, if it was a gift, at its fair market value,” the authority clarified.

Following an outcry from Kenyans over the implementation of the East African Community Customs Management Act of 2004, which mandates travelers entering Kenya to pay customs duty on personal goods, government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura announced last week that the Kenya Revenue Authority will review the $500 tax on personal items. The tax is mandated under the East African Community Customs Management Act, and any revision would require consultation with other EAC member states.

In comparison, South Africa allows goods valued up to 5,000 rands (approximately $271 or Sh41,101), while Nigeria’s limit is $63.49 (Sh9,593).

Guns and dildos: KRA’s haul at JKIA a mixed bag

Posted on by Ozymandias

Large consignments of prohibited commodities have been confiscated by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) customs department at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) throughout the past four months. The tax collector claims that during the July–October 2023 period, the authority made 440 interceptions, of which 132 were illegal and 431 were restricted items.

14 sex toys, 58 shisha and shisha utensils, 24 boxes of Viagra, and 60 bleaching creams are among the prohibited goods. Additional illegal objects intercepted were 339 drones, 7 weapons, 18 toy guns, 11 magazines, 8 handcuffs, and 24 walkie talkies.

It is reported that the items were discovered following passenger scrutiny by the KRA.

The inventory kept at the largest airport in Kenya provides an insight into the changes that have occurred in the personal lives of Kenyans, the majority of whom are young people.

Some of the things are unclear as to why they shouldn’t be permitted into the nation, and the type of evidence required to clear them is even more ambiguous. Both male and female sex points are in more demand, as seen by the numerous social media accounts that are outright selling them.

Humphrey Wattanga, Commissioner General of KRA, stated that it is crucial to remember that any items that are intercepted at the Point of Entry—especially weapons and drones—must have the necessary authorization given by the appropriate state authorities.

“We have a mandate to safeguard legitimate trade by ensuring that items subject to Customs duty are accurately assessed and duly paid for,”

For example, the KRA demands a variety of credentials, including one proving the drones’ airworthiness, from anyone importing them.What kind of evidence someone would present to demonstrate their ability to utilize a dildo efficiently is unclear.

A fast search on social media indicated that these devices are accessible locally, so it’s possible that distribution rather than use is the restriction.However, the rationale behind these limitations continues to baffle. According to KRA, visitors to the nation may retrieve prohibited goods that its agents have seized as they leave the Customs Office.

The KRA’s Border Control Enforcement Unit has been intercepting more commodities that are illegal or restricted, hence the terminal visit was scheduled during this period.

Moral cop Ezeikel Mutua angered by mating wildebeests sculpture erected at JKIA

Posted on by Pauline Syombua

Ezekiel Mutua, the head of The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) and a man who Kenyans believe is the official moral cop in Kenya, is not happy yet again.

This time round is because of a statue erected at JKIA which has two wilder beast mating.

Sexually suggestive

Mutua was angered by the sculpture which he called immoral. He called it thoughtless.

“This sculpture is bizarre and thoughtlessly sexualized. The sexual connotation depicted in this sculpture adds no value to the marketing of Kenya to tourists arriving or leaving JKIA,” he said.

“It’s the work of a dirty mind trying cheaply to sell their creativity. It is not different from the dirty minds who sexualize adverts on TV or on outdoor advertising.

The sculpture

“This sculpture would not lose any value if the animals were simply grazing in their natural habitation. The mounting aspect sends a wrong message and the sculpture must change,” he said. 

Adding:

“It fails our suitability criteria for content or information meant for public exhibition. We should not allow such bizarre ads and marketing strategies that are meant to create unnecessary sexual innuendo. We need to sober up!”