The Sunday Standard has published an investigative report raising fresh questions about Kenya’s soaring gold exports to the United Arab Emirates.
According to the report, Kenya shipped 42.1 tonnes of gold to Dubai in the first nine months of 2025, a sharp increase from 13.8 tonnes recorded over the same period in 2024.
This surge stands in stark contrast to the country’s official annual production, which is estimated at just one tonne.
The Standard notes that the figures have renewed concerns about a potentially thriving gold smuggling network operating through Kenya.
The publication highlights long-standing allegations that the country serves as a transit point for gold trafficked from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and possibly Ethiopia.
The paper further recalls that this is not the first time Kenya has been linked to illicit gold trade, pointing to the Goldenberg scandal of the 1990s and repeated complaints by the DRC about gold smuggling involving influential networks.
Key Figures:
42.1 tonnes: Total gold exports to Dubai in the first nine months of 2025
13.8 tonnes: Gold exports to Dubai over the same period in 2024