Kenya’s taxman has hit a major milestone in its decades-long quest to modernise revenue collection, announcing it collected Ksh 85.1 billion in customs taxes for September 2025, the highest amount ever recorded in a single month.
The achievement, revealed by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) on Wednesday, October 8, on its official X account, is being hailed as proof that ongoing reforms at the country’s ports and border points are beginning to pay off.
“Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has recorded another landmark achievement in customs tax collection, recording a historic monthly performance of Ksh 85.146 billion in September 2025,” the agency stated.
Adding;
“This represents the highest amount ever collected in a single month in the Authority’s history.”
September’s collections not only broke records but also surpassed expectations. KRA had set a target of Ksh 81.3 billion for the month but exceeded it by Ksh 3.8 billion, achieving a performance rate of 104.7 per cent.
The figure also reflects an 18.8 per cent growth compared to September last year, defying the challenges posed by a sluggish global economy and rising import costs.
The bulk of the revenue came from two key streams: trade taxes, which generated Ksh 51.7 billion, up 22 per cent from last year, and petroleum taxes, which brought in Ksh 33.4 billion, achieving an impressive 109 per cent of the target.
KRA attributed this success to reforms aimed at tightening revenue collection and sealing loopholes that had long undermined customs performance.
At the heart of these changes is the creation of a central release operations office, which has transformed the clearance of goods at the country’s ports.
“This process has minimised human contact, ensuring more objective cargo release decisions and closing potential revenue loopholes. Additionally, the reform has significantly improved cargo release turnaround times,” the statement read.
This shift to a centralised clearance system has been widely welcomed by traders and importers, who say it has reduced corruption, sped up cargo movement and made the process more predictable.
The record collection also reflects KRA’s broader transformation strategy, which has included upgrading the Integrated Customs Management System, rolling out the enhanced Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS), and stepping up crackdowns on smuggling and tax evasion.
“These outstanding results underscore KRA’s unwavering commitment to continuously improving tax collection systems and processes to meet revenue targets consistently,” KRA said.
