The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) announced that, from September 13, 2026, informal cargo consolidators and customs clearing agents must provide full details of every individual importer linked to a consolidated shipment.
Required information includes the trader’s full name, Personal Identification Number, national identity card number, telephone number, a description of the goods and their declared value.
KRA said the measure will boost transparency, improve tax compliance and enable VAT-registered importers to receive electronic tax invoices through the Electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS).
The directive follows recent unrest by small-scale importers over a rise in customs valuation benchmarks for 40-foot containers, which were lifted from KSh2.5 million to KSh3.2 million in August.
After a meeting with President William Ruto, the government lowered the general benchmark to KSh2 million, pledged to vet cargo consolidators and set up designated de-consolidation centres in Nairobi and Mombasa.
Industry bodies warn the new rules could raise operating costs, especially for operators handling door-to-door shipments.
The Kenya Groupage Cargo Handling Association noted that its members submit house manifests to customs, whereas informal operators file customs entries and pay duties before delivering cargo to end-consignees, and therefore the rules mainly target the informal segment.
An official from another consolidation group told The Star that onboarding each consignee onto eTIMS will be felt and will definitely increase the cost of doing business.
Agayo Ogambi, chief executive of the Shippers Council of Eastern Africa, said accurate documentation is vital to address compliance concerns and that the sector suffers from trust issues.
Ogambi highlighted that the share of cargo cleared within the free storage period has dropped from over 90 per cent to below 80 per cent, raising worries about delays and extra costs.
He urged KRA to adopt know-your-customer procedures, expedite clearance for legitimate traders and introduce dedicated customs account managers for key customers, noting that only Authorised Economic Operators currently enjoy streamlined processes.
