KRA unveils bodycams in war against bribery, tax evasion

According to KRA, the move targets disputes that frequently arise between officers, travellers and importers during tax assessments and baggage inspections, where conflicting claims have often slowed investigations and complicated enforcement of customs duties.

Each bodycam unit is a dual-component device. A front-facing camera handles high-definition video recording and photography of interactions — documenting exactly what officers see and do during inspections. A rear-facing camera supports video calls and image transmission back to headquarters.

KRA Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga described the launch as a milestone in modernizing service delivery at the nation’s ports of entry.

“This initiative reinforces our commitment to transparency, professionalism, and secure borders as we continue to modernize service delivery for the public,” Wattanga said Tuesday.

“For too long, it's been your word against mine has been an uncomfortable reality at border points. Disputes dragged on. Trust eroded. And the officers doing their jobs right had no way to prove it,” the statement continued.

Customs officers interact with thousands of passengers, traders and clearing agents daily, making border points one of the most visible government service areas where integrity, professionalism and fairness directly influence perceptions of Kenya’s governance.

For example, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) handles approximately 20,342 passengers daily and over 8.9 million annually as of 2025. This huge number of interactions, according to KRA, surpasses their manpower, which can create gaps that facilitate tax cheating.

KRA says the cameras will record interactions between officers and travellers, creating verifiable digital records that can be reviewed quickly whenever complaints arise about inspections, taxes charged, or conduct during border clearance processes.

“Customs is one of the most human-facing departments. Every day, officers interact with thousands of travellers, importers, and traders. These interactions shape perceptions of Kenya, of governance, of fairness,” states KRA.

KRA adds that the recordings will help eliminate the long-standing challenge of “your word against mine” that has historically complicated investigations whenever travellers or officers report disputes during routine customs checks.

The authority expects the technology to act as a deterrent against bribery and graft, as both officers and travellers will be aware that interactions during inspections and tax enforcement activities are being recorded.

KRA stresses that passengers arriving at Kenyan entry points will also experience more structured engagements with officers, as the authority works to standardise procedures and improve service delivery across busy border facilities handling international traffic daily.

With this technology, complaints that previously required weeks of internal investigations could now be resolved faster, with supervisors reviewing recorded footage to determine exactly what happened during disputed interactions between travellers and customs officers.

The move comes as the government intensifies efforts to tighten tax enforcement amid widening budget shortfalls, with rising public expenditure putting pressure on revenue collection agencies to seal leakages across multiple sectors.

According to KRA, beyond accountability, it plans to use recorded footage as a training tool to identify operational gaps, improve officer conduct and refine procedures across airports, seaports and land borders handling international trade.

"Public trust is not a soft metric in customs and trade,” the authority added. “It determines whether a border facilitates economic growth or frustrates it.”

 KRA believes interactions at the country’s borders will become more transparent, more accountable and more trustworthy.

KRA has also sought to downplay fears regarding data protection, stressing that the recordings will be "processed in accordance with the principles of lawful processing under the Data Protection Act, 2019 (Kenya)."

They also added that the body-worn cameras will be "used within this framework to support transparency, accountability, and proper documentation of official border interactions."

The camera deployment sits within a wider digital arsenal that also includes 350 handheld verification gadgets, 20 external surveillance cameras, 60 data collection devices, and 2 petabytes of storage infrastructure at Times Tower.