Mombasa Traders Demand Probe and Ouster of Rogue KEBS Official Demanding Huge Bribes

Traders operating at the Port of Mombasa are calling for immediate investigations into corruption allegations against a senior Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) official who they accuse of demanding millions in bribes to facilitate clearance of containerized goods.

The traders have specifically named Zipporah Njoki Kangara, a Quality Analyst with KEBS Mombasa office, alleging she demands between Sh150,000 and Sh2 million from importers before their containers can be cleared from the port.

“This woman has turned our business into a nightmare. She openly tells us that part of what we pay goes to the head office in Nairobi, and she acts with impunity knowing she’s protected,” said one trader who requested anonymity for fear of victimization.

The allegations come at a time when KEBS has been grappling with corruption scandals, with senior officials from both KRA and KEBS having been arrested in recent years for soliciting bribes at Mombasa Port.

According to the complainants, Kangara has been stationed at the Mombasa office since her employment in 2009 and has never been transferred despite numerous complaints against her conduct. The traders question how a junior officer can afford luxury vehicles and property from her official salary.

“She owns multiple high-end vehicles including a Land Cruiser registration number KCJ 007P and a V8 KBX 110W Land Cruiser, though the latter is registered under her sister Norah Nyambura Kangara,” alleged one of the complainants.

The traders claim Kangara lives in an upmarket residential area in Utange, Bamburi, and leads a lavish lifestyle that appears inconsistent with her official remuneration.

When confronted about potential transfer from Mombasa, Kangara allegedly told traders: “I will never be moved from Mombasa, you will go and find me here. The MD will never listen to you to transfer me, the money you give she gets a share.”

The allegations suggest a wider network of corruption involving collaboration with Kenya Revenue Authority officials, raising questions about systemic graft at the port.

KEBS has previously faced scrutiny over corruption allegations. Recent parliamentary investigations into the agency were suspended after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations cleared KEBS of allegations related to Sh420 million in revenue loss.

However, the agency has also had to deal with fraudsters posing as KEBS officials to extort money from businesses, with recent cases involving imposters demanding bribes of up to Sh20,000 per shop.

The traders are now calling on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and other relevant authorities to investigate the source of Kangara’s wealth and take appropriate action.

“We want a thorough investigation into how she acquired her wealth and why she has remained in one station for over 15 years without transfer. This cannot be business as usual,” said another trader.

Efforts to reach Kangara for comment were unsuccessful, and KEBS management had not responded to queries sent by the time of going to press.

The Port of Mombasa serves as East Africa’s main gateway for international trade, handling goods worth billions of shillings annually. Any corruption at the facility significantly impacts the cost of doing business and ultimately affects consumers across the region.