By Felix Ochieng Akech

Kenyan exporters face rising charges from KePHIS to get their approvals and export certifications, with each inspection costing anything from Sh40,000 to Sh85,000 for two inspectors, a driver, subsistence, mileage, and sometimes overnight accommodation, and the numbers of inspections rising  on new export protocols..

KePHIS charges a Sh5,000 fee for its inspections. It said its tariffs are published online, and shared the link here saying this is where they are published. FarmBizAfrica has not been able to find the tariff schedules on this link, but is seeking the exact online location from KePHIS.

The base fee of Sh5,000, said a KePHIS plant health services officer.

“covers the inspection work itself including field and facility checks, fruit cutting and sampling to detect pests, verification of traceability system, documentation, and issuance of the electronic phytosanitary certificate.” 

Laboratory services such as soil testing are charged separately, typically costing between Sh1,000 and Sh6,000 depending on whether the test is a basic fertility assessment or a detailed nutrient analysis, with results usually available within seven to fourteen working days depending on sample volumes.

“But when inspections are conducted at farms or packhouses, transport and subsistence are charged separately, as provided in our service charter,” he said.

KePHIS said the inspection mileage is calculated from the nearest regional office and not automatically from Nairobi. The agency runs its regional offices in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru and Embu, alongside satellite desks at key border points. Inspectors should be assigned for inspections from the nearest KePHIS office. But KePHIS said Nairobi-based teams are used in cases where no regional officers are available.

This can see farmers covering substantial extra costs based on KePHIS’ distribution of officers or shortfalls in local office staffing.

KePHIS charges farmers mileage for each inspection at Sh58.50 per kilometre, which is calculated as a round trip from the office the officer starts out from. Exporters are also required to cover daily subsistence allowances and, where necessary, overnight accommodation for officers and drivers.

KePHIS normally assigns two officers and a driver to each inspection, which makes inspections more expensive that is typical in develop nation’s agriculture, where inspections are carried out by one self-driving inspector.

Farmers must also sometimes pay for the three-persons team’s costs for overnight stays, which KePHIS said was necessary when inspections are more complex and require more than a simple checklist.

“Officers verify isolation distances, varietal purity, field history, acreage measurements, rogueing records, chemical use logs, and hygiene standards at packhouses,” the officer said. “They also collect, label and seal samples under strict chain-of-custody procedures to preserve integrity for laboratory testing.”

For large seed fields or export packhouses, the process can take many hours and may need to be spread over more than one day. Overnight stays are also necessary when farms or packhouses are a long way from the regional office making same-day returns impracticable on long travel times, said KePHIS, as well as when multiple fields or facilities must be inspected over consecutive days, and when sampling must be done at specific crop stages.

“When inspections are far away or complex, it is not operationally safe or realistic to travel back the same day,” the officer said. “That is when subsistence and accommodation costs apply.”

A typical inspection close to a regional office can still cost under Sh20,000. For a mango packhouse located 60 kilometres from the Embu KePHIS office, the round-trip distance is 120 kilometres, resulting in a mileage charge of Sh7,020. Adding the Sh5,000 base inspection fee and approximately Sh6,000 in subsistence for two inspectors on a same-day return brings the total cost to about Sh18,000.But most inspections sit at much greater distances.

For a packhouse in Kilifi County inspected from the Mombasa regional office, the estimated round-trip distance is about 300 kilometres, translating to Sh17,550 in mileage. When the Sh5,000 base fee is added, along with subsistence and accommodation for two inspectors and a driver typically between Sh15,000 and Sh20,000 for one night the total inspection cost ranges from Sh37,500 to Sh42,500.

In more remote production zones, or where inspections extend over multiple days, exporters report total bills exceeding Sh70,000, particularly when accommodation costs rise or repeat visits are required.

“These charges are not discretionary,” the officer said. “Inspection fees, mileage rates and subsistence allowances are specified in our published tariffs and service charter, which are publicly available.” KePHIS has not confirmed where these tariffs are published, but shared the link here. 

However, for farmers or packhouses that are calculating the cost of inspections, familiarity with the nearest local office is essential.

KePHIS said a clear understanding of the full cost structure helps exporters plan better and avoid surprises. “We want exporters to understand exactly how inspection costs arise  inspection, mileage and subsistence,” said the officer. “When farms are well prepared and inspections are well scheduled, the process moves faster and overall costs are lower.”

This is particularly important at a time when KePHIS is strengthening the trading protocols for multiple crops and increasing inspections.

READ ALSO:
KePHIS opens applications for China and India avocado exports

Shadow cast over farmer seed trading by KePHIS appeal

Farmer doubles potatoes with strategic win of KePHIS certification 

An example is mangoes, which are now facing higher rejection rates following tighter phytosanitary enforcement this season. KePHIS said inspection protocols for fruit fly have been strengthened following concerns raised by importing countries, particularly in the Gulf region.

“Previously, consignments could pass with minor surface stings if no larvae were detected,” the officer said. “This season, tolerance has shifted towards near zero. Even small stings now trigger additional sampling or re-inspection.”

KePHIS said the main causes of mango rejection are surface stings from Bactrocera dorsalis, weak orchard sanitation, poor farm-level sorting, and fruit originating from unregistered orchards. “Even one stung fruit can send an entire consignment back for re-inspection,” the officer said.

In an effort to reduce the additional measures on consignments, many exporters have shifted from sea freight to faster but more expensive air freight, which reduces the risk of fruit softening and fungal growth, and reduces the preparation necessary.

Sea freight now requires stricter pre cooling, vapor heat treatment and stronger traceability systems, limiting access for smaller exporters.

Are you a farmer looking to grow the most profitable crop on your farm, with or without irrigation. Use FarmBizAfrica’s HarvestMAX on https://harvestmax.farmbizapps.com and it will tell you in less than a minute what the highest income-earning crops are for your weather, soil type and this season, based on your seasonal weather forecast. Don’t make weather losses ever again, and more than triple your income.