Kenya’s taxman turns to surveillance tech to root out customs corruption

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is turning to surveillance technology in its latest attempt to curb corruption within its ranks, deploying body-worn cameras for customs officers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and setting up a real-time monitoring centre to capture interactions with taxpayers.

From Tuesday, officers at Kenya’s main airport will begin wearing the cameras as part of a wider push by the taxman to clamp down on bribery and collusion schemes that have long undermined revenue collection.

The first rollout covers about 350 body cameras at JKIA, one of the country’s busiest entry points for cargo and travellers. KRA said the technology will initially target customs and border control staff, who frequently interact with importers and clearing agents and therefore face the greatest corruption risks.

As per a tender announced by KRA in 2025, it has established a Central Command Centre to oversee and review footage captured by officers. The facility will manage storage, supervision and structured oversight of the recordings.

The system includes dedicated servers for storing data, integrated docking stations where cameras are uploaded and charged, and complementary infrastructure designed to ensure the recordings remain secure.

“The front camera will be for high-quality video recording and photography, while the rear camera will be for video calls, providing stable and smooth image transmission,” the KRA said in a tender notice dated February 11, 2025.

KRA is betting that the constant recording of encounters will discourage bribery, reduce confrontations with taxpayers and create an evidence trail for investigations. For years, the agency has struggled with allegations that some officers help importers fraudulently clear cargo, manipulate declarations or alter tax returns in exchange for bribes.

Investigators have repeatedly flagged officers whose lifestyles exceed what their public salaries would support, with some acquiring luxury cars and high-end real estate despite relatively modest pay.

Fixing chronic leakages

Customs is one of the most lucrative divisions within the tax authority, collecting duties and levies on imported goods.

The division collects import duty, a 16% value-added tax on imports and excise duty on certain products. The department also administers the Import Declaration Fee and the Railway Development Levy.

Importers have been accused of under-declaring goods, while corrupt insiders allegedly facilitate fraudulent clearances that allow shipments to pass through without paying the full tax due.

KRA has expanded the use of data analytics and built connections between its systems and those of third parties, including banks and mobile-money platforms such as M-Pesa. These links allow officials to cross-check taxpayer activity against declared income and identify discrepancies.

In 2022, the taxman installed internet-connected cameras in factories producing excisable goods and pushed for the nationwide adoption of digital electronic tax registers, which transmit transaction data directly to tax servers.