NAIROBI, Kenya, June 24 – Travellers arriving in Kenya will now be allowed to bring in goods worth up to Sh260,000 without paying customs duty following a major increase in the duty-free threshold announced by the government.
President William Ruto said the duty-free allowance has been raised from Sh39,000 to Sh260,000, a move expected to ease the tax burden on returning Kenyans and other travellers entering the country.
The decision comes nearly three years after public criticism over the treatment of passengers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where the Kenya Revenue Authority faced backlash for aggressively inspecting luggage and imposing taxes on items brought into the country.
Ruto announced the changes after signing the Finance Act 2026 and the Appropriations Act into law at State House, Nairobi, saying the measures are intended to support economic growth while making tax administration fairer and more efficient.
The President said the new laws provide the legal framework and funding required to implement government development priorities under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, including job creation, infrastructure development and support for livelihoods.
He maintained that the Finance Act does not introduce tax measures that directly increase the burden on ordinary Kenyans, arguing that the focus is on improving compliance and sealing revenue leakages.
According to Ruto, the government intends to strengthen enforcement against tax avoidance and offshore tax schemes while protecting households and businesses from unnecessary tax pressures.
The increase in the duty-free allowance is expected to benefit thousands of Kenyans living abroad as well as frequent travellers who have long complained about the low threshold, which had remained unchanged for years despite rising prices and inflation.
