The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) will take its Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS) offline for 12 hours on September 13, 2026, and has told importers and clearing agents to wrap up any pending work before then.
In a public notice dated September 10, KRA said the system will be down for scheduled maintenance from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM on that Sunday. The authority apologized for the inconvenience and said all users of the platform would be affected.
What iCMS Does
iCMS is the system KRA uses to manage customs clearance in Kenya. Importers, exporters, clearing agents, and partner government agencies all rely on it.
Through the platform, clearing agents submit customs declarations and supporting documents on behalf of their clients. It also handles the payment of customs duties and taxes without requiring physical paperwork.
Instead of visiting an office at every stage of a transaction, traders and agents can submit and track most customs processes online.
READ: Ruto Orders KRA to Reverse Consolidated Cargo Benchmark to KES 2.5 Million
What Will Not Work During the Shutdown
For the full 12 hours, users will not be able to:
- Submit customs declarations
- Process customs entries
- Pay duties
- Complete cargo clearance transactions
Any transaction that is mid-process on the system when the maintenance begins could also be affected.
What This Means for Importers
KRA is advising importers to check with their clearing agents on whether any of their pending transactions fall within the maintenance window. This matters most for anything that still needs a declaration, document upload, payment, or other action on iCMS.
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Not every part of clearing cargo runs through iCMS. Ports, airports, and border points involve multiple agencies and processes, and some of these operate independently of the system. Even so, anyone with electronic customs work outstanding has been told to get it done before September 13.
