Many illegal loggers sell to exporters with established links to foreign markets.
Bribery and border gaps
At the Kasindi border crossing between the DRC and Uganda, timber exporters face a labyrinth of informal fees and harassment.
They pay the Congolese Control Office (OCC), National Intelligence Agency (ANR), and other agents, amounting to $1,000 to $1,200 – before trucks are even loaded.
And that’s before factoring in roadside bribes. “We’re stopped at every checkpoint and asked for 5,000 or 10,000 Congolese francs,” says logging entrepreneur Mika Mathe.
At Kasindi’s timber yard, officials are supposed to register timber details – logger’s name, species, permit number, and volume – before export. But many exporters avoid this step.
Trucks often leave sealed and uninspected, bound for Uganda or Kenya.
A 2023 study by Silvia Ferrari and Paolo Omar Cerutti found that 93% of timber passing through the Kasindi yard in 2021 lacked valid logging permits.
“Most documents mention only one species – African mahogany,” the study noted. It also revealed that many trucks travel at night or on weekends to evade inspection.
A regional problem
At Kenya’s Busia border post, officials from KRA and the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) review certificates of origin and transit documents. Still, some shipments bypass official checks.
“We know timber is smuggled in,” admits Andrew Soi, Deputy Chief Conservator at KFS.
“Some trucks arrive without passing through regular entry points.”
KFS Chief Conservator Alex Lemarkoko says Kenya is ramping up plant health controls and working with other countries to track timber movements.
“We need cross-border coordination and stronger monitoring.”
Experts argue that protecting the Congo Basin requires a regional solution. With forests in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania already depleted, demand has shifted to the DRC.
Flow of timber: From the Democratic Republic of Congo to and through Kenya/HILLARY BETT
“Many agents at the DRC-Uganda border are involved in the trade,” says CIFOR-ICRAF researcher Paolo Cerutti. “Some shipments are clean. Others aren’t.”
He highlights language barriers – French in DRC, English in Kenya and Uganda – as a challenge for verifying documentation. “The labourers doing the hard work are underpaid,” he says. “Meanwhile, middlemen make the profits.”
Without stronger forest governance, he warns, it’s nearly impossible to track timber origins. “Corruption makes everything murky.”
Cerutti and other researchers urge regional bodies like the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) to act.
“They’ve made promises on paper to protect forests. It’s time to deliver.”
George Tarus, Kenya’s Forestry Development Secretary, says the country is committed to protecting the Congo Basin.
“We’re working with East African institutions to strengthen enforcement and stop illegal activity,” he says.
