Know what it really costs to land in Nairobi — before you pay a shilling.
KRA charges in a cascade: VAT applies on top of duty, IDF and RDL, so they compound. And freight bills the bigger of weight or box size. We show every layer, so the number you see is the number you pay.
What it costs to land in Nairobi
Estimate · KESA forwarder moves your box. We find what goes in it.
Package forwarders give you a foreign address and fly whatever you've already bought — at a per-kg rate you only learn after purchase. We work a step earlier, where the real money is made or lost.
You buy first, find out later
- You source the supplier and take the quality risk alone
- Charged the greater of actual or volumetric weight — surprises after you've paid
- One freight mode, usually air; bulky low-value goods cost more to ship than to buy
- Landed cost is unknown until the box is weighed abroad
- No help negotiating price or MOQ at the factory
You see the full number first
- We find and vet the factory, and negotiate price and MOQ for you
- Volumetric weight built into the quote — no shipping surprises
- We pick the freight mode that fits: sea for bulky, air for urgent
- Full KES landed cost — duty, IDF, RDL, VAT, freight, clearing — before you commit
- Consolidation across suppliers to cut your per-kg cost
Example: a 3,000-bob item that costs 6,000 to air-freight as a single bulky parcel can ship for a fraction of that by sea consolidation — if someone prices it before you buy.
Your money is held safe until your goods ship.
The most common way Kenyan importers lose money is paying a supplier directly, then getting ghosted, sent fakes, or asked to wire to a personal "boss" account. We sit between you and the factory so that never happens.
You approve the proforma
You see the full landed cost in KES and pay your deposit to Tuko's business account — never to a supplier directly.
Funds held by TukoWe pay the factory in stages
We release payment to the verified supplier against milestones, not all upfront — so a no-show factory can't take the full amount.
Balance still protectedGoods inspected before they ship
Our China-side partner checks your goods against the approved sample — quantity, quality, correct specs — with photo and video proof.
Released only on a clean reportCleared and delivered
We handle KRA clearance and Nairobi delivery. Final balance settles once your goods are confirmed on their way to you.
Funds fully releasedWhy this matters: direct wires and personal-account transfers are exactly where import scams happen. Routing payment through Tuko with staged release and pre-shipment inspection means your capital is exposed only after your goods are verified. This is an internal safeguard, not a regulated escrow or bank guarantee — we'll always show you the supplier, the milestones, and the inspection report.
Can't find it? Describe it.
Tell us what you need. We find the factory, vet it, and send a full landed-cost proforma in KES — usually within 48 hours. No deposit until you've seen the number.
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