Kenya: Police Deployed As Nairobi Traders Protest Increased Taxes On Imports

What the report says

Police were deployed in Nairobi’s central business district as traders prepared to march to Kenya Revenue Authority offices over a revised customs valuation benchmark affecting consolidated cargo imports. According to Capital FM, officers were stationed around the Archives, Luthuli Avenue and Railways Roundabout while some shops in the CBD stayed closed and parts of the area saw disrupted business activity.

The protest is tied to KRA’s decision to raise the minimum yield used in its simplified clearance system for consolidated cargo from Sh2.5 million to Sh3.2 million. Traders, including importers who pool goods in shared containers, say the change could increase import costs and squeeze profit margins. Some business groups in areas such as Kamukunji, Gikomba and Nyamakima had already threatened to shut down operations in response.

Capital FM reported that traders planned to deliver a memorandum to KRA leadership. KRA, however, says the figure is not a fixed tax on every container but a risk-management benchmark used to decide whether shipments qualify for simplified clearance. The authority says actual tax depends on the goods, their value and classification, and it says traders can seek verification or de-consolidate shipments. The revised benchmark took effect on August 21 after a grace period, and KRA says the review reflects exchange rates, freight costs and tax-law changes, as well as efforts to curb undervaluation and misdeclaration.