NAIROBI, Kenya – 8th October 2025 – The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has announced a historic milestone in revenue collection, recording an unprecedented Ksh 85.146 billion in customs taxes for the month of September 2025. This marks the highest single-month collection in the authority’s history, surpassing the previous record of Ksh 82.554 billion set in January this year.
According to a press release issued by the Commissioner of Customs & Border Control, the September 2025 performance exceeded its monthly target of Ksh 81.341 billion by Ksh 3.806 billion, achieving a performance rate of 104.7%. The authority also reported a significant 18.8% year-on-year growth compared to the same period in the previous financial year.
The record-breaking performance was largely driven by strong receipts from trade and petroleum taxes. Trade taxes contributed Ksh 51.738 billion against a target of Ksh 50.739 billion, marking a 22.1% growth from the previous year and a 102.0% performance rate. Petroleum taxes performed even more impressively, bringing in Ksh 33.408 billion against a target of Ksh 30.602 billion, achieving a 109.2% performance rate.
KRA attributes this success to ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing revenue collection efficiency. A key innovation has been the establishment of a central release operations office, where head verification officers work from a central location and randomly assign release stations for verifying and clearing goods. This system has minimized human contact, ensured more objective decision-making in cargo releases, and helped close potential revenue loopholes. The reforms have also led to significant improvements in cargo release turnaround times.
These results underscore KRA’s commitment to continuously improving tax collection systems and processes, contributing meaningfully to the sustained growth and stability of Kenya’s economy.
Tulipe Ushuru, Tujitegemee!
