Kenya import duty and VAT overview
This page summarises what Customs Declare holds for goods imported into Kenya: duty rates, VAT, excise items, vehicle excise and the trade agreements that can lower duty. Each figure comes from our database, and where confidence is not full we say so.
Import duty (MFN rates)
Our Kenyan duty data covers 4,658 HS six-digit codes, based on the 2017 edition of the HS, from the AfCFTA Secretariat e-Tariff Book and last refreshed on 2 August 2026:
- 34% of the lines (1,594) carry a 0% standard rate.
- The average standard rate across all lines is 13.3%.
- The most common rates are 25% (1,953 lines), 10% (936 lines) and 0%.
- The highest standard rate in our data is 60%, on 16 lines. PwC describes the community's common external tariff as 0%, 10% and 25%, with higher rates for sensitive products.
- 17 lines in our data carry no standard rate.
VAT
The standard VAT rate is 16%, recorded with full confidence and last checked on 31 August 2026. PwC's tax summary states 16% on locally supplied and imported goods and services, with 0% for zero-rated supplies and a separate 8% rate for fuel. Customs Declare calculates duty first, then excise, then VAT. That order is a modelled convention we apply to all destinations, not something we have verified for Kenya specifically.
Excise and other charges
- Petrol (premium): 21.95 KES per litre, and diesel: 11.37 KES per litre. Confirmed from the Excise Duty Act 2015 first schedule on the KRA website.
- Cigarettes: 4.10 KES per stick. Confirmed from KRA public notice 2158, which applies the Tax Laws Amendment Act 2024 from 27 December 2024.
- Beer, cider, perry and mead up to 6% alcohol: 2,250 KES per litre of pure alcohol. Spirits above 6% alcohol: 1,000 KES per litre of pure alcohol. Both confirmed from the same KRA notice.
- Excise items we do not hold are not shown in the duty calculator. Where a good is subject to excise that we lack, add it yourself from the KRA schedule.
Motor vehicles
Kenya charges an ad valorem excise on imported cars that depends on engine size and fuel type. Our rows come from several 2026 calculator sites that agree with each other, not from the KRA text, so confidence is moderate:
- Petrol cars up to 1,500 cc: 20%. From 1,500 cc to 3,000 cc: 25%. Over 3,000 cc: 35%.
- Diesel cars up to 2,500 cc: 25%. Over 2,500 cc: 35%.
- These are separate from customs duty and VAT. Check the current position with KRA before you buy a vehicle.
Trade agreements
Our table lists Kenya as a member of the EAC customs union, the AfCFTA and COMESA. Goods that qualify as originating in another EAC state can move duty-free. See the EAC guides for the members, the origin rules and the steps to claim, and the guide on finding the lowest duty to compare it with the AfCFTA.
Frequently asked questions
Does the duty calculator include every Kenyan tariff line?
It covers the HS six-digit codes we hold, and Kenya's national tariff has more detailed lines. Confirm the eight-digit line with KRA before you file.
Why is Kenya's highest rate 60% here when PwC says 35%?
PwC describes the standard structure and notes higher rates for sensitive products. Our data shows 16 lines at 60%. Check the line for your product with KRA.
How recent is the data?
Duty rates were refreshed on 2 August 2026, fuel, cigarette and alcohol excise on 1 September 2026, and VAT on 31 August 2026. Each figure in the calculator shows its own source and date.
Sources
Last verified: 2026-09-29
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Work out duty and VAT for Kenya
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