KRA switches off its cargo e-seals on Monday, leaving transporters to pick from 15 vendors

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Importers, exporters and transporters moving goods under customs control will from Monday, October 26, 2026 have to buy or hire electronic cargo seals from private vendors, as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) switches off the seals it has owned and run under the Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System (RECTS).

KRA confirmed the switch in a statement on Saturday, saying the Multi-Vendor User-Owned Electronic Seals Framework would improve seal availability, cut turnaround times and make cargo monitoring more cost competitive. It described the move as part of a transition “towards a smarter, more efficient cargo monitoring system.”

What stops working on Monday

In its public notice on the full roll-out, the Commissioner of Customs and Border Control said the KRA-owned electronic seals used on dry cargo and motor vehicle units “shall cease to be in operation” from October 26. After that date, goods under customs control will be tracked only with devices supplied by approved vendors.

Fuel tankers are treated differently. The KRA-owned e-fuel seals used to monitor wet cargo, such as petroleum moved by road, will be phased out gradually rather than switched off at once.

The arrangement runs on private commercial agreements between vendors and cargo owners or transporters, and users can pick any approved vendor. That means the cost of a seal will now depend on each vendor’s prices and service terms rather than on a single KRA arrangement.

The 15 approved vendors

KRA has approved 15 firms to supply and run the seals:

• Autotronix Telematics Ltd
• Bandika IoT
• I-Spy Africa Limited
• Keshi Holdings and Leavitt Holdings (joint venture)
• K-Trac Telematics Ltd
• LetzTalk Technologies Limited
• Nebsam Digital Solutions (K) Limited
• Oak and Gold Limited
• Quartix Telematics Ltd
• Radar Telematics Limited
• Rivercross Tracking Limited
• Safetrac Limited
• Savannah Springs Technology Limited
• Smart Watch Solutions Ltd and PIS Limited (joint venture)
• Track and Trace Limited

Under KRA’s qualification terms, vendors are approved for two years, subject to monthly performance and compliance reviews, and the authority can suspend or cancel an approval. Vendors must keep seals available around the clock, pay the GPS and data charges for their devices, and handle charging, repair and calibration. They can also be held jointly liable for goods lost in transit if a seal fails to report tampering or if they are found to have colluded with other parties.

KRA keeps control of the tracking platform itself. Its officers will still load journey details into each seal, activate it when a trip starts, and deactivate it once the goods arrive.

Why the change

RECTS is a web-based system linked to customs systems across the East African Community. Transit and export cargo moving through Kenya is fitted with electronic seals and watched from a central control room, which flags route deviations and tampering. KRA first floated the user-owned model for public comment in February 2026, citing shortages of seals and delays in turning them around, and later said it would help ease congestion at the port.

For clearing agents and hauliers, the immediate task is to sign up with a vendor before loading cargo from Monday. KRA says the vendor list is on its website, and queries can go to its Cargo Monitoring Unit on the 13th floor of Times Tower in Nairobi or any customs office.

Our explainer on what importers and transporters must do under the new e-seal rules walks through the steps. The change comes a week before KRA begins blocking clearance of imports without digital marine cargo insurance on November 1. Traders lodging entries can also read our guide to lodging a customs declaration on iCMS and the Import Declaration Form and its 2.5% fee. Logistics and clearing jobs are listed on JobinKenya.