The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has introduced a new digital system requiring all containerized cargo destined for Kenya to be declared before it leaves its port of origin, in a move aimed at tightening customs oversight and speeding up clearance at Kenyan ports.
In a public notice issued on Tuesday, July 14, KRA announced the Advance Cargo Declaration (ACD) Platform, describing it as a pre-arrival cargo system where details of cargo destined for Kenya must be uploaded before the goods are shipped. The system will become operational from Monday, August 3, 2026.
The platform applies to all containerized cargo destined for Kenyan ports and is expected to affect importers, exporters, shipowners, carriers, shipping agents, customs agents and other logistics stakeholders.
Under the new rules, exporters shipping goods to Kenya will need to obtain an ACD reference code through the online platform before their cargo is dispatched. To do this, exporters must upload key shipping documents, including a draft Bill of Lading, a Commercial Invoice, a Freight Invoice, and an Export Declaration. The ACD reference code must then be endorsed on the Bill of Lading before the shipment proceeds to a Kenyan port, with the code obtainable from the platform acd.kra.go.ke at the point of loading.
KRA has described the system as a digital pre-arrival cargo declaration mechanism that allows customs officials to receive cargo information before vessels arrive in the country. According to the authority, the move is expected to enhance customs risk assessment, improve cargo tracking, and facilitate faster processing of legitimate shipments while strengthening efforts to curb smuggling, tax evasion, and the importation of unauthorized goods. With the new system, KRA says it will be able to screen shipments earlier, allowing customs officials to identify high-risk consignments before they reach Kenyan ports.
The requirement also places new administrative obligations on trade partners: exporters and shipping agents will need to complete documentation in advance to avoid disruptions at the point of shipment.
The ACD platform is the latest in a series of digital reforms KRA has pursued at Kenya’s ports in recent years, following systems such as the Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS), which was rolled out at the Port of Mombasa and the Inland Container Depot Nairobi to digitize cargo clearance documentation. Kenya’s move also mirrors a broader global trend toward pre-arrival cargo declaration regimes comparable systems already operate in the European Union and in neighbouring Sudan, where exporters must similarly secure a loading certificate before cargo departs.
With just under three weeks before the August 3 deadline, exporters, freight forwarders and shipping lines handling Kenya bound containers are expected to begin adapting their documentation workflows to the new digital requirement.
