Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) boards have directed their CEOs to form a committee to develop a framework for disposing of abandoned cargo at the Mombasa port.
Following a joint meeting of the boards of the two State agencies at KPA headquarters, KPA Chairman Benjamin Tayari and his KRA counterpart Ng’ang’a Mwaura issued the order.
The two boards agreed to dispose of the abandoned imported goods through auction or destruction, depending on the condition of the goods at KRA warehouses at the port.
The majority of the abandoned goods belonged to a number of importers who were hit with exorbitant bills from KRA, KPA, and shipping lines that exceeded the cost of their imported cargo.
The abandoned cargo, which includes luxury cars, is usually auctioned off at KRA, but others remain at the port for a variety of reasons.
Hundreds of cars abandoned at the port during the late President Mwai Kibaki’s reign were crashed because they were too old for Kenyan roads.
The goods facing the hammer have overstayed but are still viable, according to the two chairmen, while transit goods with missing documents for clearance are to be reshipped to the country of origin.
