KRA Streamlines Transit Licensing
KRA to Implement Automated Transit Vehicle Licensing System Starting July 2026
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Key Points
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The RECTS login portal is required for registrations and is accessible at https://ects.eac.int/login; applicants must register on RECTS before applying.
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A network of Rapid Response Units will assist first-time applicants, including locations in Mazeras, Taru, Voi, Emali, Sameer, Naivasha, Nakuru, Kericho, Eldoret, Bungoma, Kisumu, Kitale, Kainuk, Lodwar, Kakuma and Marsabit, with the Cargo Monitoring Unit at Times Tower also available.
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The Cargo Monitoring Unit location for first-time RECTS registrations is the 13th Floor of Times Tower in Nairobi, with other Rapid Response Units also accessible; applicants can email for assistance.
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Private motorists using personal vehicles for non-commercial transport will be exempt from the automated licensing process.
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The automation will apply to new applications for 2026 and renewal licences for 2027 onwards, with manual licences issued before July 1, 2026 remaining valid until December 31, 2026.
Starting July 1, 2026, Kenya's Revenue Authority (KRA) will require all vehicles hauling goods under customs control to get their licences through a new automated online system — ending the era of paper applications for good. The system runs through the Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System (RECTS), and licences are delivered by email after a Ksh 26,000 (about US$200) fee is paid, according to The Kenya Times.
Manual licences issued before July 1 remain valid through December 31, 2026. After that, every transit vehicle operator must be on the new platform. KRA says the shift will cut paperwork, speed up cargo movement, and reduce corruption by removing face-to-face contact between officers and transporters, 001 FM reported.
How the New RECTS Licensing System Actually Works
Applicants must first create a profile on RECTS at https://ects.eac.int/login. Once registered, they submit documents — including the vehicle logbook, insurance certificate, and a COMESA Yellow Card for foreign-registered trucks — plus photos showing the registration number. After KRA reviews the file and payment clears, an electronic licence arrives by email with a QR code for roadside verification, according to Tuko.
KRA has been clear on one point: submitting an application does not guarantee a licence. The authority says it will vet every file before approving it, signalling tighter standards than the old manual process. The system covers two vehicle categories — Transit Goods (C28) and Vehicles Conveying Other Goods Under Customs Control (C40), Dawan Africa reported.
First-Time Applicants Can Visit 17 Help Centres Nationwide
Operators without an existing RECTS profile cannot apply online yet. They must first visit a Rapid Response Unit (RRU) or the Cargo Monitoring Unit on the 13th Floor of Times Tower in Nairobi to get registered. KRA has set up 17 RRUs across Kenya, including locations in Mazeras, Voi, Emali, Naivasha, Eldoret, Kisumu, Lodwar, Kakuma, and Marsabit, among others, according to The Kenya Times.
Analysts at SFAI Global warn that the automated system will reject applications instantly if any data mismatches appear — for example, if a chassis number does not match the logbook exactly. Large logistics firms with integrated systems are well-placed to adapt. Small-scale transporters may struggle, 001 FM noted. Private motorists using personal vehicles for non-commercial trips are fully exempt from the new rules.
RECTS Tracks Every Truck in Real Time Across 12,707 km
RECTS is not just a licensing portal — it is a live cargo-tracking network covering 12,707 kilometres of the Northern Corridor. The system links a vehicle's licence directly to its electronic seal. If a truck deviates from its approved route, the system flags it immediately. KRA says this is key to stopping smuggling and revenue leakage, according to Dawan Africa.
The results so far are significant. Automation has helped cut the Mombasa-to-Kampala transit time from 18 days to four. Cargo clearance at some checkpoints now takes under 30 seconds, down from two full days. KRA's 9th Corporate Plan targets a 60% reduction in overall clearance times through full RECTS and ICMS integration, Tuko reported.
System Outages Could Strand Thousands of Trucks at Launch
Not everyone is convinced the rollout will go smoothly. One analysis titled "KRA Built One of Africa's Most Advanced Customs Systems, but Cracks Are Starting to Show" warns that total reliance on digital systems leaves the Northern Corridor exposed to outages and cyber-attacks. Transporters have also long complained that system glitches wrongly flag trucks for route deviations, triggering heavy fines for errors the drivers never made.
The RECTS login portal is the single point of entry for every new licence. Any downtime on July 1 could block thousands of trucks from getting the electronic documents they need to move goods legally. KRA Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga has called automated systems the "future of Kenyan customs," but industry observers say the true test begins today, according to The Kenya Times.
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