The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) shattered its all-time record in customs tax collections in September 2025 for the highest single-month collection ever made under the authority with a record Ksh85.1 billion.
In a release on Wednesday, KRA officials welcomed the milestone that not only shattered the month’s target of Ksh81.3 billion by a resounding Ksh3.8 billion but also recorded a considerable 18.8% growth from last year’s corresponding month.
This is a remarkable record,” the authority said, adding that the performance is driven by a strong 104.7% target attainment rate. The previous record high stood at Ksh82.5 billion, collected in January 2025.
The stellar growth was primarily driven by strong performance in trade as well as petroleum taxes, KRA added.
Trade-related taxes raised Ksh51.7 billion above the target of Ksh50.7 billion and registered a very robust 22.1% year-on-year growth. Levies on petroleum did not lag far behind, raising Ksh33.4 billion against the target of Ksh30.6 billion, representing a superb 109.2% performance level.
KRA credited its outstanding performance to not just increased trade business but also a series of institution reforms aimed at tightening compliance and stemming revenue leaks.
Among the key reforms has been the creation of a central release operations office a new system in which top verification officers sit centrally and allocates customs stations at random to clear goods.
“This approach has decreased human interface in the clearance process, reducing room for tampering and ensuring a more open system,” KRA said.
Government representatives also attributed advances in technology and better enforcement as being central to closing loopholes and improving efficiency at border points.
September figures cap a string of improved performances for the taxman. In July, despite economic troubles plaguing the country, KRA had posted 6.8% growth in net revenue in the 2024/25 financial year raising Ksh2.571 trillion compared to Ksh2.407 trillion in the prior financial year. That was a revenue performance rate of 100.6%.
For an economy still finding its footing amid global and local financial pressures, the tax authority’s latest numbers offer a hopeful sign that fiscal discipline and reform-driven growth may be paying off.
