Nairobi Small-Scale Traders Protest Rising Import Costs and KRA Valuation Changes
Business owners say changes to the customs valuation benchmark for consolidated cargo are increasing operating costs and making it increasingly difficult to remain profitable.
Nairobi, Kenya | August 28, 2026
Small-scale traders in Nairobi have taken to the streets to protest rising import-related costs, which they say are making it increasingly difficult to make profits and sustain their businesses.
The traders, drawn from several business areas in the capital, say the changes have increased the financial burden on small enterprises and disrupted business activities in parts of the city.
The protesters are particularly opposed to changes in the customs valuation benchmark for consolidated cargo, which they say have raised the cost of clearing imported goods. Traders argue that the additional expenses are putting further pressure on small businesses and could force some operators to increase prices or reduce the volume of their imports.
Some demonstrators carried placards and marched through parts of the city, demanding government intervention and warning that the rising cost of doing business was threatening their livelihoods.
The demonstrations disrupted activities in parts of the Nairobi CBD, where police were deployed to monitor the situation. In some areas, officers used tear gas to disperse demonstrators attempting to march towards KRA headquarters at Times Tower.
The traders have maintained that they are not opposed to paying taxes but want the government and the Kenya Revenue Authority to review measures they believe are making it difficult for small businesses to survive.
KRA has, however, said the dispute is not linked to the introduction of a new business tax but to changes in the customs valuation benchmark used for imported consolidated cargo. The authority has also maintained that the revised benchmark should not be interpreted as the actual tax payable on every container.
The demonstrations have highlighted growing concern among small-scale business owners over the cost of doing business, with traders calling for greater consultation before measures affecting their operations are implemented.
As the dispute continues, pressure is mounting on KRA and the government to engage with traders and address concerns over the cost of doing business while balancing the need to meet the country's revenue collection targets.