Whether you're a distributor in Nairobi tired of buying through middlemen in Dubai or Guangzhou, or an importer bringing in construction hardware, motorcycle parts, solar equipment or consumer goods, we act as your buying office in Asia — sourcing, inspecting, and shipping straight to Mombasa port or your Nairobi warehouse.
Kenya is one of East Africa's busiest import gateways — hardware, motorcycle and boda boda parts, solar equipment, plastics and consumer goods all move through Mombasa in growing volumes, which also means real markups if you're buying through a trading middleman. Here's how we help, whatever stage you're at:
Have a product idea or a spec to match? We connect you with factories across China, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia to design, sample and validate it before you commit to a container.
Already importing hardware, motorcycle parts or plastics through a trading middleman? We go direct to the certified factory and cut out the markup you're currently paying.
Already have a supplier in Asia but no one checking the goods before they ship? We inspect independently, on your behalf, before the container leaves port.
We manage sourcing, inspection and export logistics from the factory floor in Asia through to the Port of Mombasa, including export documentation. Once your shipment arrives, we connect you directly with a licensed Kenyan clearing and transport partner who handles customs clearance, duty/VAT payment, and last-mile delivery to your business — billed and paid directly between you and them.
Kenya's import volumes are concentrated in a few categories where the savings from cutting out a middleman are largest:
Steel fasteners, plumbing fittings, electrical hardware and general building supplies — high volume, price-sensitive, and where distributor markups tend to be steepest.
Engine components, tires, chains and replacement parts for the motorcycle taxi trade, one of the fastest-moving import categories in the country.
Panels, batteries, inverters and charge controllers for Kenya's growing off-grid and rural electrification market.
Injection-molded household goods, containers and packaging materials for local manufacturers and distributors.
Landed cost is where most first-time Kenyan importers get surprised — not by the factory price, but by everything added on top of it at the border. Here's the real math on a shipment from China into Mombasa, so there are no surprises when your container lands.
| Item | Rate / Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Import Duty | 0% – 35% of CIF value | Depends on HS code / product category |
| VAT | 16% of CIF + duty | Applied on nearly all imports |
| Import Declaration Fee (IDF) | 2.5% of CIF value | Mandatory KRA declaration fee |
| Railway Development Levy (RDL) | 2% of CIF value | Funds Kenya's rail infrastructure |
| Sea Freight Transit Time | 22–35 days | FCL runs faster than LCL |
| Customs Clearance | 5–10 business days | Plus 1–2 days for mandatory radioactive screening at Mombasa (KNRA directive, since May 2026) |
We factor duty, VAT, IDF and RDL into your landed cost estimate before you commit to an order — not after your container is already sitting at the port.
There's no cost to start the sourcing process itself. We ask for a fully credited deposit to dedicate our team to supplier research, factory vetting, negotiation and sample coordination — and if you move forward with a bulk order, that deposit is deducted in full from your final invoice. If you decide not to proceed, the deposit covers the work already completed.
| Step | What It Covers | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Sourcing Deposit (per product) | Supplier research, factory vetting, negotiation, sample coordination | Upfront; 100% credited toward your bulk order if you proceed |
| Factory Inspection | On-site QC visit, photo/video report | Payable before the inspection |
| Bulk Order | Factory price + built-in margin | 100% upfront, before shipment |
Payments are made in USD. Kenyan law requires a 20% withholding tax on professional fees paid to a foreign company — this is set by Kenya, not by us, and is factored into the figures on our official Kenya price list. Request it for exact numbers before you commit to anything.
Fill out the form and we'll get back to you within 48 hours with a clear plan and a no-obligation quote.