The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), in collaboration with the British High Commission in Kenya and TradeMark Africa (TMA), has launched the eCUSTOMS app at the Busia One Stop Border Post (OSBP) on the Kenya-Uganda border. This digital platform is set to transform cross-border trade by making customs declarations faster, paperless, and hassle-free for traders, transporters, and passengers.
According to the UK, the eCUSTOMS app is a “game-changer” for Kenya and East Africa’s trade facilitation. The system is designed to reduce clearance times, improve transparency, and ensure compliance with regional customs regulations. It also provides small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and transporters with easy-to-use digital tools, enhancing Kenya’s position as a hub for modern, secure, and efficient border management.
At Busia OSBP, the app is expected to cut cumulative truck queues by 1,200 hours daily, significantly reducing waiting times. Small-scale traders stand to save around Ksh750 per customs declaration, encouraging more streamlined cross-border trade and stronger regional integration.
KRA Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga emphasized that the platform will promote a conducive business environment by enabling paperless and seamless customs processes. Traders can now self-declare cargo, while passengers can declare customs and accompanied baggage ahead of arrival, ensuring faster clearance at the border.
Transporters and truck drivers will benefit from smooth truck rotations, toll-free movement, and digital management of empty truck declarations and toll collections. This initiative addresses long-standing concerns from drivers about delays, poor infrastructure, and technical glitches that previously slowed goods movement, sometimes taking up to 48 hours for scanning procedures.
The launch of the eCUSTOMS app represents a significant step toward modernizing Kenya’s border operations, enhancing efficiency, and boosting regional trade competitiveness.
