04/07/2025
A recent SwissAid report has cast a harsh spotlight on Kenyaâs emerging role as a central transit hub in a sophisticated and deeply troubling network of illicit gold smuggling. According to the report, more than two tonnes of undeclared gold enter Kenya each year, originating from conflict-ridden regions including South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and potentially Sudan. Most of this smuggled gold is re-exportedâlargely to Dubaiâthrough opaque trade channels that bypass official declarations, customs oversight, and taxation.
This flow of blood gold not only undermines Kenyaâs legitimate mineral economy, but also fuels violence, conflict economies, and state fragility in neighbouring nations. SwissAidâs findings point to a glaring mismatch between Kenyaâs recorded gold exports and its actual trade activity, raising red flags about the existence of a shadow network powered by corruption, high-level complicity, and systemic failure of enforcement.
More damningly, the report situates this illicit trade within a global architecture of exploitation, where imperialist interests and foreign profiteers continue to benefit from Africaâs natural wealthâwithout regard for the devastating human cost. As long as this ecosystem remains intact, resource-rich yet war-torn countries will continue to bleed, and regional instability will persist under the guise of economic opportunity.
