The troubled former Kenyan minister behind a gold smuggling ring that potentially costs Uganda Shs 52.2 bn in tax revenue a year

Harvests rarely come this big. Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) recently netted a big fish: a former Kenyan minister, Stephen Kipkiyeny Tarus, for smuggling 13 kg gold and potentially costing Uganda $30,000 (Shs 113 million) in revenue. Kipkiyeny was detained following an investigation that uncovered his involvement in an illegal gold smuggling operation, leading to substantial financial losses to government. He is also said to be behind a gold smuggling network that has over the years evaded taxes, posing a significant threat to Uganda’s economic stability. The Auditor General in a recent report said Uganda loses up to Shs 52.2 billion…