Africa
Container Shipping from the UK to Kenya
Mombasa is East Africa's principal gateway, serving Nairobi by rail and road and acting as a transit corridor for landlocked neighbours.
Container shipping from the UK to Kenya runs full container load to Mombasa (KEMBA). There is no scheduled less than container load service to Kenya at present. Sea transit is 24–30 days port to port and air freight 2–4 days. We collect from any UK address and handle UK export clearance; customs charges in Kenya are not included.
Where we ship
Ports in Kenya
Full container load and groupage both go to Mombasa. Select a port for its location, code and indicative transit.
- UK door
- UK port
- Mombasa
Packed and sealed at your premises, then straight to the port — usually Southampton.
Less than container load
There is no scheduled groupage service to Kenya at present. Smaller consignments are quoted case by case — tell us the volume and we will say which option is genuinely cheaper.
Get a price for Kenya
The three modes are quoted separately — they are priced on different things entirely: a container, a cubic metre and a kilo.
Indicative pricing
Starting points for sea freight from the UK, not port-specific figures — the rate for your shipment depends on the arrival port, the sailing and the commodity. Customs charges, duty and taxes in Kenya are payable there and are not included.
| Service | From | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| FCL — 20ft General Purpose | £1,760.00 | per 20ft container |
| FCL — 40ft General Purpose | £2,760.00 | per 40ft container |
| LCL groupage | £93.00 | per cubic metre |
| Air freight | Please check with our team | per 100kg chargeable weight |
These are starting prices for the freight, not shipment totals. A groupage rate is what one cubic metre of cargo costs, so a 10 cubic metre consignment costs roughly ten times the figure shown. Figures are indicative, in GBP, and cover the sea freight from the UK only — customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included. Your firm quote depends on the exact route, the cargo and the sailing.
What can you ship to Kenya?
Industrial machinery and spares, construction plant and materials, medical devices, agricultural equipment and general retail stock move through Mombasa, which also serves Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.
Cargo needs to be palletised, shrink-wrapped and labelled with the consignee, because groupage is handled several times between your loading bay and the delivery address. Anything containing lithium batteries, aerosols, paints, solvents or compressed gas needs declaring at booking — it usually still travels, it just changes the packing and the paperwork rather than simply the price.
What tax and duty applies on import into Kenya?
Kenya charges VAT at a standard rate of 16%, charged on the customs value plus duty plus the import declaration fee and railway development levy. Customs duty is separate and runs at 0%, 10% or 25% under the East African Community common tariff, set by the commodity code of the specific goods.
Kenya applies the East African Community common external tariff in three bands — 0% on raw materials, 10% on intermediate goods and 25% on finished products — so how a product is classified changes the duty by a factor of two or more. Two levies apply on top: an Import Declaration Fee and a Railway Development Levy, both calculated on customs value. A PVoC certificate of conformity is required before shipment for regulated goods.
What are the import restrictions in Kenya?
Four things are worth checking before you book rather than after the vessel sails.
What documents do I need to import into Kenya?
These cover the far end of the journey and belong to your consignee. We prepare and file the transport and commercial paperwork, but their own registrations are issued to them by their own authorities and cannot be obtained on their behalf.
What documents do you need in the UK to export?
A second, separate set of paperwork — and this one is yours rather than your consignee's. It is the part first-time exporters are most often caught by, because the destination requirements get all the attention and the British side looks like a formality until it stops a booking.
Duty depends on the commodity code of the specific goods, and rates change. This is general guidance, not tax or legal advice. Customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included in our freight quote. Rates last reviewed .
Shipping to Kenya: FAQs
How long does shipping from the UK to Kenya take?
Sea freight runs about 24–30 days port to port, and air freight 2–4 days airport to airport. Mombasa is the quickest sea gateway on this lane at around 24 days. These are indicative figures measured port to port; the transit for your exact collection address and delivery address, including the inland legs at both ends, is confirmed at quote stage.
Which ports do you ship to in Kenya?
We move cargo through one port in Kenya: Mombasa (KEMBA). Full container load goes to Mombasa. We have no scheduled groupage service to Kenya at present, so part loads are quoted case by case. Each port page lists its location, code and indicative transit.
Do you handle customs clearance for Kenya?
We handle the UK side: we file your export declaration with HMRC against your GB EORI number and raise the transport and commercial documents that travel with the shipment. Customs charges in Kenya — duty, import tax and any local clearance fees — are payable there by the consignee and are not included in our rates, unless you have agreed a DDP Incoterm that puts them on you. Budget for them separately; they are the most common reason a landed cost comes in above the freight quote.
What should I know before shipping on the Kenya lane?
Cargo transiting Kenya for a landlocked neighbour follows a different customs path from cargo cleared for the Kenyan market. Establish which applies before booking, because it changes the documentation set entirely. Cargo commonly moving on this lane includes machinery and agricultural equipment, construction materials, medical and laboratory supplies.
Compare lanes
Other countries we ship to and from
Rates and transit times for countries near Kenya — each one works as an origin or a destination.
South Africa
Import & export · Durban
LCL from
£88.00
per cubic metre
20+ days
View lane
Nigeria
Import & export · Lagos (Apapa)
LCL from
£92.00
per cubic metre
18+ days
View lane
Egypt
Import & export · Alexandria
LCL from
£69.00
per cubic metre
12+ days
View lanePlan the rest of the move
Shipping to Kenya? Get a quote.
Any country to any country, import or export — send us the origin, destination and cargo details and we'll come back with a competitive rate within one business day.