Nairobi: The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Customs and Border Control Department collected a record Sh92.53 billion in July, exceeding its monthly target by Sh6.37 billion as it opened the 2026/2027 financial year on a strong footing.
According to Kenya News Agency, Customs and Border Control Commissioner Dr. Lilian Nyawanda stated that the July collection was the highest monthly revenue ever recorded by the department, surpassing the Treasury target of Sh86.16 billion by Sh6.37 billion. This performance equated to 107.39 per cent of the target and marked a 15.3 per cent increase from the Sh80.29 billion collected in July 2025.
Nyawanda noted that the latest milestone followed another strong performance in June when Customs collected Sh89.1 billion, which was then the department’s highest monthly collection. The back-to-back record-breaking months indicate sustained momentum in Customs revenue mobilisation and the department’s increasing contribution to economic development.
A significant factor in the July performance was the growth in non-oil revenue, which reached Sh61.50 billion. Nyawanda highlighted that this was the first time in KRA’s history that Customs’ non-oil revenue collection exceeded the Sh60 billion mark, underscoring the rising importance of non-oil sources in the department’s revenue performance.
She attributed the improved revenue performance to measures implemented by KRA to enhance compliance and modernise customs administration. These measures include increased use of technology, improved cargo management, and efforts to facilitate legitimate trade through the country’s borders and the Port of Mombasa, as explained by Nyawanda.
Nyawanda mentioned that KRA had been implementing reforms aimed at making Customs operations more efficient, transparent, and predictable for traders while strengthening controls to protect government revenue. The reforms involve increased use of data and technology in cargo risk management, improved declaration processing, and enhanced enforcement against illicit trade and revenue leakage.
The commissioner remarked that the record July collection was a significant milestone for the authority and provided a strong start to the new financial year. She emphasized that KRA’s investments in technology, compliance, trade facilitation, and collaboration with stakeholders were beginning to yield results.
Nyawanda further noted that the authority would maintain its focus on facilitating compliant businesses while ensuring that all revenue due to the Government is collected. The robust start to the financial year comes as the Government continues to rely on enhanced domestic revenue mobilisation to finance its development priorities.
Nyawanda concluded that the July performance reinforced KRA’s commitment to mobilising the revenue necessary to support government programmes while fostering a predictable and efficient environment for legitimate businesses.
