Kenya Revenue Authority's new cargo declaration system faces lawsuit

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) announced a one‑hour scheduled maintenance of its iSCAN platform on Tuesday, 4 August, and simultaneously launched a new Advance Cargo Declaration (ACD) platform. The ACD system makes a pre‑arrival cargo declaration mandatory for all containerised sea freight, requiring exporters, shipping lines and other stakeholders to obtain an ACD reference number before loading cargo for Kenyan ports. KRA said the platform aims to streamline customs procedures and noted that it had exceeded its customs revenue target for FY 2025/26, collecting Ksh 988.78 billion.

A technology firm has filed a petition in Kenyan court seeking compensation from KRA and Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, alleging that the ACD system replicates the firm’s cargo‑tracking concept presented to KRA in 2023. The petition seeks either a halt to the system’s use or a 30 % royalty on the savings and efficiencies it generates. KRA and the Treasury have not responded to the claims, and the system was rolled out on 3 August.