The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has announced that the Integrated Customs Management System (iCMS) will be temporarily shut down for scheduled maintenance lasting eight hours.
In a statement released by KRA, the maintenance is set to begin on Saturday, May 17, at 10 pm and continue until Sunday, May 18, at 6 am.
“Please be advised that there will be a scheduled maintenance of iCMS from Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 10 pm to Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 6 am. We regret any inconvenience caused," the notice read.
KRA apologised for the impending inconvenience, as the iCMS is the system solely responsible for the lodging of documents for the importation and exportation of goods at various ports across the country.
“During this period, the iCMS system will be unavailable for all users. Any inconvenience caused is highly regretted," the statement added.
The iCMS system was introduced on July 7, 2019, during the second term of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, with the premise of being a modern, robust, and efficient platform running on the latest technology to achieve faster and seamless cargo clearance.
The system was to be implemented in phases, with a great focus on improving Kenya’s ease of doing business by simplifying processes that enable pre-arrival processing.
The system was predicted to bring in greater trade efficiency by increasing speed in the cargo clearance process, reducing complexities associated with several systems of automation of manual processes, and reengineering processes.
It was to be implemented in phases, with a great focus on improving Kenya’s ease of doing business by simplifying processes that enable pre-arrival processing.
Upon full implementation, the iCMS would counter security threats through a risk management system that ensures a secure trade chain, facilitates regional integration by integrating with regional revenue administrations, and provides for transparency of the cargo as the system eliminates human intervention.
Despite all the glitter that surrounded it, all has not been rosy, with the system experiencing multiple outages that have massively affected the flow and supply of goods both within and outside the country.
In November 2024, the system encountered an outage at the Port of Mombasa that resulted in significant economic losses for Kenya.
