Kenya has been linked to a major gold smuggling network involving gold from the DRC, South Sudan, and Sudan.
A report by SwissAid shows how Kenya has become a key route for moving illegal gold, especially to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
How does the Smuggled Gold Enter Kenya?
The report reveals that over the last 10 years, Kenya has grown into a hub for smuggled gold.
Most of the gold enters the country quietl without being declared. It then leaves Kenya through secret routes, ending up in Dubai. In 2023,
Kenya officially exported only 672 kilograms of gold, but experts believe over 2 tonnes are smuggled out each year.
SwissAid says that gold from countries like DRC, South Sudan, and even Ethiopia is brought into Kenya and then exported. This trade mostly avoids taxes and regulations. Once the gold reaches Dubai, it is declared and becomes part of the legal trade, even though it was smuggled out of Africa.
The report also found that other countries report importing more gold from Kenya than what Kenya says it produces or exports. This shows that a lot of gold is either entering or leaving Kenya illegally.
There are also concerns about gold linked to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Some reports claim RSF gold is transported through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and flown to Dubai.
Kenya’s Response
In response, Kenya is planning to set up a special Mining Police Unit to stop gold smuggling. The government is also working with other countries in the region to create a system that certifies minerals and gems. This will help block illegal or conflict-linked gold from entering the global market.
The SwissAid report raises big questions about how much illegal gold is flowing through Kenya, how much the country is losing in revenue, and how conflict gold is ending up in legal markets abroad.
By Vivian K.