“Consignments failing to meet these requirements will be blocked from clearance.”
— Kenya Revenue Authority, public notice “Enforcement of Marine Cargo Insurance”, 22 October 2026
What happened
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has given importers ten days’ notice that its marine cargo insurance rule now has teeth. In a public notice dated 22 October 2026 and issued with the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), KRA said it will enforce mandatory Digital Marine Cargo Insurance (MCI) from 1 November 2026. Every consignment entering Kenya must be covered by a valid MCI policy from an IRA-licensed insurer, and the insurance certificate must be processed through the Digital MCI System and transmitted to KRA’s Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS) before the customs declaration is lodged. Shipments that do not meet the requirement will not be cleared.
The obligation itself is not new. Kenya’s local marine cargo insurance rules took effect on 1 July 2026, backed by a digital link between the IRA, KRA, eCitizen and licensed insurers that verifies each certificate. In June, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the aim is to keep insurance premiums inside the country. What changes on 1 November is enforcement at the customs gate: from that date, a missing or unverified local policy stops the declaration. The Shippers Council of Eastern Africa (SCEA) has already warned that the rule ends the use of CIF terms for Kenyan imports, with chief executive Agayo Ogambi telling importers that “CIF is no longer applicable”, and the council recommends CFR instead. The notice lands as KRA completes the switch of its cargo tracking seals to private vendors under the Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System, a transition due by 26 October.
What this means for shippers
Exporters in Pakistan, China, India, the Gulf and elsewhere who sell to Kenya on CIF terms are the most exposed. A policy you buy at origin from a foreign insurer will not satisfy KRA, so your Kenyan buyer would have to buy local cover anyway and would end up paying for insurance twice. Talk to your buyers now and move new quotations and contracts to CFR (or CPT for multimodal cargo), so the importer arranges the Kenyan policy. Make sure the Incoterm and values on the commercial invoice, bill of lading and cargo declaration all match the new terms; mismatches are a common cause of queries at clearance.
Importers and clearing agents carry the formal duty. The local policy and its digital certificate must exist in iCMS before the declaration is lodged, so build it into the pre-arrival workflow rather than treating it as a port-side task. The notice does not say how cargo already at sea under foreign cover will be treated; SCEA has earlier asked the authorities to clarify this. Until that is confirmed, assume that shipments arriving on or after 1 November need a valid local policy, whatever date they were loaded.
The risk is simple: cargo that cannot be cleared sits at Mombasa or the inland depots, building up storage and demurrage charges while documents are fixed. Insurance does not replace Kenya’s other pre-shipment paperwork either. Your ACD certificate and the rest of the Kenya shipping documents still need to be in order before loading. If you are unsure what your next Kenya shipment needs, contact HMG and our team will check your documents before the container leaves.
Key points
- From 1 November 2026, KRA will block clearance of imports that lack a valid Digital Marine Cargo Insurance policy from an IRA-licensed insurer.
- The insurance certificate must reach KRA’s iCMS through the Digital MCI System before the customs declaration is lodged.
- Local cover has been mandatory since 1 July 2026; the change now is enforcement at customs.
- The Shippers Council of Eastern Africa says CIF is no longer workable for Kenyan imports and recommends CFR.
- Exporters should update Incoterms and keep invoice, bill of lading and declaration details consistent before loading.
Frequently asked questions
When does Kenya start blocking imports without local marine cargo insurance?
KRA says enforcement starts on 1 November 2026. From that date, consignments without a valid digital marine cargo insurance policy from an IRA-licensed insurer will be blocked from customs clearance.
Can I still sell to Kenya on CIF terms?
Not in a practical sense. Cover bought abroad does not meet the rule, so the Kenyan buyer must buy a local policy anyway. The Shippers Council of Eastern Africa recommends switching to CFR so the buyer arranges the local insurance.
Who must arrange the Kenyan marine cargo insurance?
KRA’s notice places the duty on importers and clearing agents. The policy must come from an insurer licensed by Kenya’s Insurance Regulatory Authority and be transmitted to iCMS before the customs declaration is lodged.
Sources
- Kenya Revenue Authority — Enforcement of Marine Cargo Insurance (public notice)
- Kenyans.co.ke — KRA Makes Digital Marine Cargo Insurance Mandatory From November 1
- The Eastleigh Voice — KRA to block clearance of imports without valid digital marine cargo insurance starting November 1
- Breaking Kenya News — Importers urged to review contracts as local marine insurance rule takes effect
- Business Insurance — Kenya mandates local cargo insurance
