Nairobi: The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) surpassed its monthly target customs tax collection by Sh3.806 billion during the month of September 2025. The Authority collected Sh85.14 billion above the set monthly target of Sh81.34 billion, making it the highest amount ever collected in a single month in KRA's history. The previous record set in January 2025 stood at Sh82.55 billion.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Commissioner, Customs and Border Control Dr. Lilian Nyawanda, stated that the September performance marks a year-on-year growth of 18.8 percent compared to the same period the previous year. In a press release dated September 8, 2025, the authority notes that the performance was driven by a strong collection from trade and petroleum taxes. Trade tax realized Sh51.73 billion against a target of Sh50.73 billion, reflecting a performance rate of 102 percent, while petroleum taxes recorded a 109.2 percent performance by collecting Sh33.40 billion against a target of Sh30.60 billion.
The authority attributes the success to a series of reforms it undertook aimed at enhancing revenue collection efficiency. The reforms include the establishment of a central release operations office where head verification officers operate from a central location and randomly allocate release stations to verify and clear goods. The process, it observes, has minimized human contact, ensures more objective cargo release decisions, and closes potential revenue loopholes, adding that the reforms have significantly improved cargo release turnaround times.
The authority expressed its commitment to continuously improve tax collection systems and processes to meet revenue targets consistently, hence contributing to the sustained growth and stability of the country's economy.