Cases of contraband goods and illicit brew are high in Bungoma, which is a border county, Interior PS Raymond Omollo has said.
Omollo said the proximity of Western region and Bungoma county to the border also poses some security concerns.
He said in the last year, 40 per cent of cross-border crimes in Western region, including Bungoma, were forged documents.
Omollo said 21 per cent represented drug seizures-cannabis, heroin and cocaine.
Counterfeits and contrabands including sugar, maize, alcohol, ethanol and pharmaceutical drugs represented 15 per cent of confiscations by border control authorities.
Omollo said arrest statistics show 12 wanted criminals were captured in the Western border within the period.
“Bungoma is like the rest of the country and in the rest of the country, we continue experiencing some security challenges but the overall security situation is on firm ground,” Omollo said.
“The biggest security challenges in Bungoma is gender-based violence and movement of contraband goods.”
The PS spoke to reporters in Bungoma on Friday.
He said all government departments have worked together to ensure Madaraka Day celebrations happen as planned.
Bungoma is a strategic transit along the Mombasa-Malaba highway, playing a crucial role in the region's connectivity and economic activities.
This highway is significant as it forms part of the Northern Corridor, which is a major transport route that connects Kenya with landlocked neighbours like Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.
