Kenya's mandatory Advance Cargo Declaration (ACD) now live for all containerized imports; carrier validation begins 1 September
The Kenya Revenue Authority implemented a mandatory Advance Cargo Declaration platform for all containerized cargo destined for Kenyan ports, effective 3 August 2026, requiring a valid ACD reference number to be obtained before cargo is loaded and endorsed on the Bill of Lading. From 1 September 2026, vessel carriers will be required to validate the ACD reference number prior to loading and only load containers at origin when a valid reference has been obtained. Exporters must upload four documents (commercial invoice, freight invoice, export declaration, and draft Bill of Lading) to the KRA portal to generate the code. Failure to comply exposes the Kenyan importer, not the foreign supplier, to customs-imposed fines.
ITG interpretation: This pushes compliance upstream to the origin (Türkiye/China), so ITG must build ACD generation into pre-shipment workflows or risk cargo rollovers and fines once carriers enforce validation from 1 September. Since Mombasa is a gateway for East and Central Africa, the requirement also affects transit cargo to landlocked destinations.
Sources: Maersk - Revised Update Mandatory ACD Reference Number for Imports Into Kenya · The Star (Kenya) - Importers push back as KRA changes rules for consolidated cargo