ADVERT 
ADVERTKenya’s decision to strengthen radiological screening at ports and other points of entry comes at a critical moment for a country seeking to consolidate its position as a regional trade and logistics hub.
Cargo moving through Kenya sustains trade, manufacturing, employment, consumer markets and government revenue. But the scale and speed of that movement also impose a fundamental responsibility on the State: potentially hazardous materials must be identified, assessed and controlled before they enter circulation.
The Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority’s renewed emphasis on screening containerised cargo and sampling bulk consignments is therefore not simply another bureaucratic requirement. It is an important component of national safety and security.
The bigger question, however, is how Kenya can strengthen radiological controls without turning legitimate cargo clearance into an avoidable bottleneck.
Safety and efficiency should not be treated as competing objectives. A modern logistics system must deliver both.
ADVERTThe real test is implementation
There should be little disagreement over the need to screen cargo where radiological risks exist. The challenge lies in designing a system that is rigorous, predictable and efficient.
Radiological hazards can be difficult to detect through conventional cargo-handling procedures. Their consequences may not be immediately apparent, making specialised detection equipment, trained personnel, clear procedures and reliable reporting systems essential.
This places a significant responsibility on KNRA and its partner agencies.
A regulator can have sound legislation and clearly defined powers, but those provisions are meaningful only when supported by adequate personnel, functioning equipment and the capacity to make timely decisions.
Screening must therefore be more than a box-ticking exercise. It should produce reliable risk assessments and provide a clear pathway for either releasing compliant cargo or escalating consignments that require further examination.
The assurance by KNRA Director General James Keter that the authority is expanding its capacity is consequently important. The credibility of the system will ultimately be measured not by the existence of regulations, but by how effectively those regulations work on the ground.
One cargo, too many checks?
The involvement of the Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Ports Authority, clearing agents and other institutions makes coordination indispensable.
Cargo clearance is already a multi-agency process. If agencies operate independently, the same consignment can potentially encounter multiple inspections, information requests or procedural requirements.
That creates costs.
Traders may experience longer cargo dwell times, higher operational expenses and uncertainty over when goods will be released. Clearing agents face additional administrative demands, while manufacturers and retailers can be affected by delays further down the supply chain.
These concerns do not justify weakening safety controls.
They demonstrate why those controls must be better coordinated.
Where a competent examination has already been conducted and the relevant information is available, agencies should, where legally appropriate, be able to rely on that information unless there is a documented reason for another intervention.
The objective should be one coordinated safety architecture rather than several disconnected inspection regimes.
Risk-based screening is the logical path
Not every consignment presents the same level of risk.
A sophisticated regulatory framework should recognise that reality.
Cargo presenting a credible or elevated radiological risk may warrant intensive examination, specialised testing and additional controls. Consignments with a well-established low-risk profile should not automatically face procedures designed for higher-risk cargo.
A risk-based approach would allow regulators to concentrate limited personnel and equipment where they are most needed while facilitating the movement of compliant trade.
Such a system depends heavily on accurate advance information.
Importers and their agents should provide complete and timely cargo declarations, while government agencies should have the capacity to analyse that information before consignments arrive. Early identification of potential risks can allow appropriate interventions to be planned rather than improvised after cargo has entered a congested clearance environment.
Technology can help—but only if agencies cooperate
Digital platforms could significantly improve the process.
Shared information systems can enable authorised agencies to access relevant cargo information, record inspection decisions, monitor consignments and establish an auditable trail of regulatory action.
But technology is not a substitute for institutional cooperation.
A digital platform that merely reproduces the same fragmented procedures electronically will not solve the underlying problem. Agencies must first agree on responsibilities, information-sharing protocols, escalation procedures and reasonable service timelines.
The goal should be a system in which technology reduces duplication rather than simply digitising it.
Mombasa and JKIA need adequate capacity
The concerns raised by the Shippers Council of Eastern Africa about capacity at the Port of Mombasa and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport deserve attention.
Efficient screening requires more than scanners and regulations. It requires appropriate facilities, trained specialists, adequate operating hours, maintenance systems and sufficient capacity to deal with consignments requiring further analysis.
A congested or poorly equipped entry point can undermine both safety and trade facilitation.
This is why investment in regulatory capacity should be regarded as part of Kenya’s broader logistics infrastructure.
The country cannot aspire to become a more competitive regional trade gateway while allowing essential regulatory processes to become chronic sources of uncertainty.
Public participation must be substantive
The proposed public participation on regulations intended to strengthen Kenya’s nuclear and radiation safety framework provides an opportunity to address some of these concerns before new requirements take effect.
Regulations in this area affect far more than specialists in nuclear science.
They can influence importers, manufacturers, transporters, health facilities, research institutions, port operators, customs agents and businesses handling regulated materials.
Stakeholders therefore need an opportunity to understand what the proposed rules require, what procedures will change and what compliance will cost.
Public participation should not become a procedural formality undertaken merely to satisfy a statutory obligation.
It should help regulators identify practical weaknesses, clarify ambiguous provisions and ensure that rules can actually be implemented at ports, airports and other points of entry.
Transparency will determine confidence
Businesses need to know why cargo is being held, what additional information is required and what steps must be taken before release.
Where additional screening is necessary, the basis for that intervention should be identifiable. Where delays arise from incomplete declarations, equipment problems or the need for specialised analysis, affected parties should receive appropriate information.
Predictability matters.
A trader can plan around a clearly defined regulatory requirement. It is much harder to plan around unexplained delays or repeated requests from different agencies.
Transparency therefore strengthens rather than weakens enforcement.
It gives businesses confidence that regulatory decisions are based on identifiable criteria and helps protect officials from accusations of arbitrary decision-making.
Independence and accountability must go together
Cargo clearance inevitably involves commercial interests. The faster goods move, the sooner businesses can sell, manufacture, distribute and recover their investments.
That commercial pressure cannot be allowed to compromise radiological safety.
Officials responsible for screening and clearance must be able to act on technical evidence and legal requirements without inappropriate pressure to release questionable consignments prematurely.
At the same time, enforcement should distinguish between deliberate violations, negligence and genuine administrative mistakes.
Businesses trying to comply with new or technically complex requirements need clear guidance and, where appropriate, mechanisms for correcting errors.
Strong enforcement and fair enforcement are not contradictory.
Kenya’s reputation is also at stake
The implications extend beyond individual shipments.
Kenya’s ports and airports are increasingly important components of the regional supply chain. Businesses using those facilities need confidence that regulatory requirements will be applied consistently and professionally.
International and regional trading partners, meanwhile, need assurance that Kenya maintains credible controls over potentially hazardous materials.
A weak regulatory system could therefore have consequences beyond public health and safety. It could affect confidence in Kenya as a regional logistics platform.
Conversely, an effective system—one that combines rigorous safety controls with predictable cargo clearance—can strengthen the credibility of Kenya’s trading infrastructure.
The objective should be a single, integrated system
The concerns raised by traders about multiple screening processes should not automatically be interpreted as resistance to regulation.
Businesses have a legitimate interest in reducing duplication, costs and unnecessary delays. Regulators have an equally legitimate responsibility to ensure that potentially dangerous materials are identified and controlled.
The answer lies in better system design.
Kenya needs clear institutional responsibilities, secure information sharing, coordinated inspections, risk-based screening, adequate technical capacity and transparent procedures for cargo that requires further assessment.
It also needs meaningful communication with the trading community.
New requirements should be communicated early, explained clearly and supported by practical guidance. Smaller businesses and clearing agents may require particular assistance because they may not have the same technical and legal resources available to large corporations.
Safety and efficiency must advance together
Kenya now has an opportunity to demonstrate that strong regulation does not have to mean inefficient regulation.
The country should not have to choose between protecting the public and facilitating legitimate trade. Both are essential to a modern economy.
The success of strengthened radiological screening will therefore depend on what happens beyond the announcement of new requirements.
Will agencies coordinate effectively?
Will screening capacity match the volume of cargo?
Will businesses receive clear guidance?
Will technology reduce duplication?
Will risk assessments lead to proportionate interventions?
And will cargo that presents no credible safety concern move through the system without unnecessary delay?
Those are the questions that should define the next phase of Kenya’s regulatory reforms.
The proposed public participation process offers stakeholders an opportunity to address them directly.
Kenya’s ports and airports are national economic assets. They must be safe, efficient and trusted. Radiological screening is an essential part of that responsibility, but it should operate within a broader framework of coordination, accountability and timely decision-making.
The principle is straightforward: unsafe cargo must not be allowed through simply because the system is under pressure to move quickly, but compliant cargo should not be trapped in unnecessary bureaucratic loops.
A dependable logistics sector requires both safeguards and speed.
Kenya can achieve that balance if regulators, port authorities, customs officials, clearing agents and the business community treat safety and trade facilitation not as opposing demands, but as shared components of a credible national logistics system.
Strong safety controls and efficient cargo movement are not contradictory goals. They are the two foundations of a modern and trusted Kenyan gateway to regional and global trade.
