Abstract

The study aimed at determining the effects of coordinated border management techniques on trade facilitation in Kenya. The specific objectives were to: determine the effects of “One Stop” border post on trade facilitation in Kenya at the Port of Mombasa; establish the effects of Joint Patrols on trade facilitation at the Port of Mombasa; and to determine the effects of joint risk management initiatives on trade facilitation at the Port of Mombasa. The study was anchored on three relevant theories: Technological change theory, Change management theory and Theory of constraints. The study adopted a descriptive research design and targeted 500 officers from various departments including officers from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Port Health, Kenya Ports Authority, among others at the Mombasa Port. An open-ended questionnaire with containing both structured and semi-structured questions was used to collect primary data. A pilot study was carried out on 11 KRA customs officers that did not form part of target population to test the reliability and validity of the research instrument. The study used Cronbach’s alpha (α) coefficient to test reliability, while face and content validity were used for checking for validity of the research instrument. The primary data collected was analyzed with the use of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SSPSS) version 28. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics by use of moderated multiple regression analysis. The questionnaire was conceived using the type of Likert scale. For a sample target of 150 participants, a stratified sampling method was used and out of 150 questionnaires issued, 120 (80.00%) were dully filled translating to a response rate of 80 percent. Data was coded and entered into SPSS from which correlation analysis was used to evaluate the collected information. Both quantitative analysis and regression analysis were used as a data analysis technique. The information gathered have been executed through different models to obviously highlight the factors that determine the impacts of coordinated border management on trade facilitation. The investigator also used a multivariate regression analysis to determine the relationship between the independent variables and the variable dependent. The study revealed that Joint patrols, Joint Risk Management techniques and One Stop Border Post had significant influence on trade facilitation in Kenya. The results indicated that One Stop Border Post has reduced the clearance time of the cargos hence reducing the cost of doing business in Kenya. The study concluded that Joint patrols, Joint Risk Management techniques and One Stop Border Post influence facilitation of trade in Kenya. The One Stop Border Post had more impact on trade facilitation then followed by Joint Risk Management. The study recommends that Customs administration should adopt the One Stop Border Post to enhance their productivity and profitability. The study established that the adoption of various systems on customs departments had a major effect on traders because custom systems reduce the average lodging time and clearance time of goods. From these findings, there was quick movement of products as a result of the implementation of various customs systems. Thus, the implementation of various border techniques has a major impact on facilitating trade in Kenya.