Kenya’s Consolidated Cargo Benchmark: What the September Agreement Said

On September 2, 2026, the government and representatives of consolidated-cargo traders announced an agreement after protests over customs valuation benchmarks. The government said the benchmark for general consolidated cargo would be reduced to KSh 2 million, following an increase to KSh 3.2 million that had taken effect in August.

The figure is a valuation benchmark used in the consolidated-cargo framework. It is not a statement that every trader pays KSh 2 million in tax. Actual customs charges depend on the goods, their classification and the applicable duties and taxes. Traders should confirm how the agreement is being applied to their shipment with KRA or a licensed clearing agent before calculating landed costs.

Other measures in the announced agreement

Reports on the September 2 communiqué described additional steps: an exemption for cargo consolidators from the newly launched Advance Cargo Declaration platform, a list of goods that will not qualify for the general consolidated-cargo framework, re-registration of consolidators with lists of the traders they serve, and designated de-consolidation centres. Kenya Railways was also reported to have lowered a specific cargo transport charge between the Inland Container Depot and Bomaline centre.

These were announced measures and implementation details may vary. In particular, KRA separately announced that the Advance Cargo Declaration platform would launch on August 3 for containerised cargo destined for Kenyan ports. Businesses should rely on the latest written KRA instructions for whether an exemption applies to a particular shipment.

What importers can do

• Ask the clearing agent to show the tariff classification and calculation used for the specific goods.
• Request written confirmation from KRA or the authorised consolidator if relying on an exemption or a revised benchmark.
• Keep invoices, packing lists, shipping documents and customs entries together so that a valuation can be checked.
• Check whether a product is covered by a sector-specific rate or excluded from the general consolidated-cargo arrangement.

Sources

• The Standard: September 2 agreement and announced measures
• KRA notice on the Advance Cargo Declaration platform
• Text of the September 2 communiqué

Updated October 9, 2026. Customs rules and implementation notices can change; verify the current treatment with KRA before importing.