Legislators also want customs officials at border points retrained and sensitised to enhance their relatability with people and promote dignified passenger handling.
The Kenya Revenue Authority customs officials stationed at border points have been urged to improve their passenger handling experience for both Kenyans returning from overseas and tourists visiting the country.
The call made by the National Assembly departmental committee on finance and national planning came in the wake of complaints from travelers coming into the country through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport over the accelerated enforcement of taxation policies by KRA.
The taxman has for the last few weeks been on the news for frisking passengers arriving into the country and confiscating goods in search of tax from personal or household items worth USD500 (Sh75,000) and above.
Speaking during a meeting with customs officials led by KRA commissioner for customs and border control Lilian Nyawanda, the committee chairman and Molo MP Kuria Kimani noted that there is a need to achieve a balance between KRA executing their mandate, and creating a fair travelling experience for passengers.
“We have invited you today to provide a briefing on the implementation of the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA 2004). We hold the view that there is a need to achieve a balance in ensuring KRA executes its mandate effectively, and mainstream passenger handling at the points of entry,” Kimani told the KRA officials.
Kimani also called on the customs officials to consider sensitizing and retraining customs officers based at the border points so as to enhance their relatability with people and promote dignified passenger handling.
The lawmakers, though in agreement that the countries around the globe impose limitations on the amount of goods one can bring into the country without attracting duty, said this should not be an excuse to mishandle passengers, or even infringe on their privacy.
In response, Nyawanda acknowledged that some customs officials may not have handled passengers humanely in the pursuit of executing their mandate.
She told the members that the accelerated scrutiny which may have rubbed off some passengers wrongly is as a result of a realization that there was an increase of highly dutiable goods being sneaked into the country without duty being paid.
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