BREAKING: The duty-free allowance for arriving travellers has been increased from KSh 39,000 to KSh 260,000.
This is being heavily hyped as a major "Ruto achievement." But here's the context many reports are leaving out:
This wasn't a special favour. Ruto didn't just wake up and decide to be generous to travellers or the diaspora. The East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA) already governs passenger import duties across EAC countries.
In 2024, the EAC Council of Ministers raised the regional duty-free baggage limit from USD 500 to USD 2,000. Kenya is only now aligning its laws with what was already approved at the regional level.
So yes, the higher threshold is good news. But if the EACCMA framework was amended in 2024, why did it take until 2026 for Kenya to fully implement it?
And why is a delayed compliance measure being presented as a brand-new achievement? And why did it take so long to align? You I know why.
If your goods exceed KSh 260,000, KRA will still tax the excess.
Cornelius Chepsoi has said it as it should be. Why sell to us bad fuel at higher prices?. And more importantly make that G to G a public document for scrutiny!!