A group of miraa exporters has raised a red flag about a cartel at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) that they say is responsible for their business operations being disrupted and harassed.
The unfortunate exporters told the press in Nairobi on Saturday that the individuals are not only preventing them from offloading and distributing their consignments but also require them to pay substantial, unofficial fees.
They further cautioned that the extortion was making the business environment so unfriendly that their ability to trade competitively with international markets was being undermined. “It has become so hard for us to transact our business without this cartel interfering with us. Large sums of money have to be paid before your goods can be moved,” one of the exporters resentful. They are now urging the government and the appropriate authorities to help locate the cartel and dismantle it, warning that failure to act will not only continue hurting Kenya but also make farmers lose money. The miraa trade continues to be one of the most important sources of foreign exchange in Kenya, and the exports have been the means of the livelihoods of thousands of farmers, traders, and transporters, especially in Meru and the neighbouring regions. The exporters warned that if harassment at JKIA is left unchallenged, it could mean losing the market and the targeted overseas destinations.
