Importing a production line into Kenya from China: the 2026 route
The money: 0% duty, then the stack
| Charge | 2026 basis | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Customs duty (EAC CET) | 0% capital goods | Secured by the 8-digit classification at quotation |
| VAT | 16% | On customs value plus duty |
| Import Declaration Fee (IDF) | 3.5% of customs value | Reduced rates exist for some categories; machinery commonly pays the standard rate |
| Railway Development Levy (RDL) | 2% of customs value | 1.5% applies to some manufacturer categories — confirmed at entry |
Individually small, collectively real: on a US$300,000 consignment the IDF and RDL alone are ≈US$16,500 before VAT. We quote the stack, not just the headline 0%.
The gate: KEBS PVoC, before shipment
Kenya's pre-export verification of conformity, administered by KEBS under its current PVoC manual (version 15, dated February 2026), requires conformity certification arranged in the exporting country. As with every PVoC market we serve, the answer is sequencing: the inspection rides the same factory window as the factory acceptance test, and the vessel doesn't sail ahead of its paperwork.
The route — and the number that really designs Kenyan plants
Mombasa gives Kenya the friendliest logistics in East Africa: coastal economics at ×1.25–1.45 landed-and-installed, with the inland leg to Nairobi, Nakuru or the counties planned as part of delivery. The number that shapes the plant itself, though, is the power bill — Kenya's industrial electricity is the region's most expensive once pass-throughs land, which is why our Kenyan specifications lead with energy efficiency. That story is on the Kenya page and in power & line selection.
What CISH does on a Kenya import
- Before shipment: classification for the 0% band, KEBS PVoC sequenced with the FAT, an invoice pack that clears rather than queues.
- In transit and at Mombasa: consolidated freight, insurance, clearing through experienced agents with the IDF/RDL stack pre-quoted.
- To rated output: the inland leg, installation, commissioning and training as one scope — on first-project terms we state plainly.
What importers ask
0% for capital goods under the EAC CET — but quote the full stack: VAT 16%, the 3.5% Import Declaration Fee and the 2% Railway Development Levy on customs value. On a US$300,000 consignment, IDF and RDL alone are about US$16,500.
Kenya's pre-export verification of conformity, run by KEBS under the current manual (v15, Feb 2026): certification is arranged in the exporting country before shipment. We sequence it with the factory acceptance test — one inspection window, no border surprises.
Yes — Mombasa gives coastal economics at ×1.25–1.45 landed-and-installed versus ×1.45–1.60 for landlocked neighbours. The Kenyan cost story that needs more design attention is electricity, not logistics.
Landing a line in Kenya?
Tell us the line and the county. We'll come back with the classification, the PVoC sequence and the landed number — including the levy stack, in writing.