By Boniface Ongeri
Friday, February 26, 2010
From petroleum products, second-hand vehicles and spare parts, electronics, textiles, satellite dishes, mobile phones and sugar, the region’s goods are easily sourced from the chaotic Horn of Africa nation.
The goods are cheap considering that they are sourced from the free port of Kismayu and mainly smuggled into Kenya.
Most of the goods even find their way to Nairobi and form the bulk of cheap imports sold in the thriving Garissa Lodge bazaars
"The Government is losing millions of shillings in uncollected revenue. Everything still comes in even after the closure of the common border in 2006 to check the flow of illegal arms and militants," said an immigration official who used to work in Mandera, told The Standard.
And immediate former NEP PC Josephat Maingi says the Government had evidence that the emergence the money spurring business n the region was related to piracy.
However, Kenya National Chamber of
Illegal activities
Meanwhile, the US National Institute for Public Policy recently reported that Kenya ’s economy has become largely befitted from the dynamics of Somali immigrants and the money that pours in from their nefarious activities along the Horn of Africa .
"To a certain extent there are banking and commercial elements in this East African country that are just happy that the Somali connection exists," said the report.
Source: Standard