In a move aimed at easing the import process, the Ruto administration through the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has provided a major relief to businesses by modifying the requirements for a Certificate of Origin (COO).
This is considered good news for many Kenyans engaged in the import business, as it removes a significant hurdle that has been a point of contention since the new directive came into effect on July 1, 2025.
The new rules which have been published by the KRA, have exempted some categories of goods from the mandatory COO requirement.
Previously, all consignments imported into Kenya had to be accompanied by a COO.
However, KRA has now recognized that obtaining this document can be challenging in certain situations.
To address this, the taxman has introduced provisional measures that allow for the use of alternative documents when a COO is unavailable.
These include an Origin Declaration, an Export Permit, or a Customs Export Declaration from the exporting country.
These alternative documents have to be verified and approved by Customs.
Despite these welcome changes, experts have raised concerns. The requirement, even with the new exemptions, has been revealed to be in contradiction to East African Community (EAC) trade legislations.
The government has not yet provided a clarification on this matter, leaving some ambiguity for traders operating within the EAC.
This has created a sense of uncertainty, as the new rules have a significant impact on trade facilitation and could potentially strain relations with other partner states.
Source.
Link.
https://www.facebook.com/CitizenTVKe/videos/2184873815353515/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v
About The Author
