The Kenyan government has raised the duty-free limit for incoming passengers from Ksh.50,000 to Ksh.250,000.
This announcement was made in a joint statement by the Cabinet Secretaries for Roads and Transport, National Treasury and Economic Planning, Interior and National Administration, and Tourism and Wildlife, which was released on Friday.
As a result, travelers bringing personal goods valued up to Ksh.250,000 will no longer incur customs duties, offering much-needed relief to those who have faced issues with their items being confiscated at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
“In an effort to enhance the screening of passenger goods, Kenya has increased the duty-free threshold from Ksh.50,000 to Ksh.250,000,” the statement noted.
“To further bolster customs operations, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) will improve staff training and equip all customs officers at the airport with body-worn cameras starting July 1st, ensuring greater transparency and efficiency.”
The statement highlights that these changes are part of the Airport Charter, a new initiative aimed at optimizing the operations of Kenya’s airports.
The Charter, which will be implemented within the next week, aims to improve coordination among various government agencies involved in airport management, enhance efficiency, minimize delays, and create smoother processes for passengers and other stakeholders.
The Cabinet Secretaries in charge of Transport, Treasury, Interior, and Tourism are tasked with overseeing these reforms to reinforce Kenya’s status as a leading aviation hub.
Additionally, to boost security at JKIA, the government plans to introduce advanced customer information systems for risk profiling and ensure that only bags identified by security scanners are opened in designated screening areas.
In line with the current reforms, all citizens of Africa will no longer need to obtain Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). Furthermore, the government has introduced multiple-entry ETAs and streamlined processing to enhance travel convenience.
To enhance the travel experience at JKIA, the government plans to increase the number of immigration booths and personnel in the next 90 days.
Additionally, the implementation of electronic self-clearance gates (e-Gates) is set to speed up immigration processing, as stated by the authorities.
