KRA Beats September Customs Revenue Target

This figure also marks a 5.8% rise compared to the KES 85.146 billion collected in September 2025.

The target had assumed growth of about 4.6% from last year, so KRA cleared the bar by a little over a percentage point, a modest cushion rather than a runaway win.

Non-oil revenue was the primary driver of September’s performance, contributing KES 57.199 billion, which exceeded the target of KES 55.422 billion and constituted around 64% of the month’s total collection.

While this surplus offset a KES 812 million shortfall in all other collections, which stood at KES 32.854 billion against a target of KES 33.666 billion, the broader picture shows a disconnect between rising trade volumes and the tax take.

Imports grew far faster than revenue in September, with the overall value of imports rising 25.6% against growth of 5.8% in customs revenue, a gap of 19.8 percentage points.

The fastest growth was observed in bulk cargo, particularly fertilizers, iron and steel, palm oil, and rice, which often benefit from reduced duty rates or exemptions, potentially explaining the disparity between the rise in import value and the modest revenue increase.

This trend is evident across multiple indicators, as the value of bulk cargo imports surged by 49.2%, containerised cargo (TEUs) rose by 8.2%, and imported motor vehicles increased by 8.1%.