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Kenya acts as a transit hub for smuggled gold from other African countries, including South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to a report by SwissAid, a non-governmental organisation.
While illicit outflows from the country likely exceed two tonnes per year, the amount of declared gold exports was 672 kilograms in 2023, according to the Bern-based organisation.
“Kenya acts as a transit hub for gold from neighbouring countries,” according to the report. “The vast majority of the gold shipped from Kenya is not declared for export.”
Kenyan government spokesman Isaac Mwaura was not immediately available for comment.
SwissAid noted that legislation was introduced in 2023 to formalise small-scale mining and reduce the illegal gold trade, but has not yet become law.
Most gold smuggled out of Kenya is shipped to Dubai and declared for import there, with other destinations including India and South Africa, it said. The nation may also have become a conduit for gold from Sudan, where a civil war has raged since 2023.
A similar report by the group last year argued that revenue from such trade is fueling conflict, financing criminal and terrorist networks, undermining democracy, and facilitating money laundering.
