Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has successfully onboarded more than 500 fuel stations across the country to its Electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS) fuel module, marking a major step in enforcing real-time digital reporting for petroleum retail sales.
The milestone was announced by KRA Commissioner-General Humphrey Wattanga on February 15, 2026, during a stakeholder engagement forum in Nairobi. “We have crossed the 500-station threshold in the rollout of the eTIMS fuel module,” Wattanga said. “This means these stations are now issuing electronic receipts and transmitting sales data to KRA in real time. The system is live, stable and already improving visibility of fuel transactions.”
The eTIMS fuel module is a specialised component of the broader eTIMS platform, tailored to the unique nature of fuel retailing. It requires every pump transaction—whether for petrol, diesel or kerosene—to generate an electronic receipt that is instantly uploaded to KRA servers. The data includes volume sold, price per litre, total amount, station details, timestamp and buyer identification where applicable.
The move is intended to close long-standing loopholes in the fuel supply chain, including under-declaration of sales, diversion of subsidised fuel, smuggling across porous borders and VAT leakage. KRA estimates that real-time monitoring could recover billions of shillings annually in lost revenue while reducing fraud in the sector.
Wattanga explained that the module was developed in-house by KRA’s ICT team in collaboration with fuel industry stakeholders. “We listened to the concerns of marketers and retailers,” he said. “The system is designed to be user-friendly, with minimal disruption to daily operations. It supports both integrated pump connections and manual entry for stations still transitioning.”
Participating stations include major oil marketing companies (OMCs) such as TotalEnergies, Vivo Energy (Shell), Rubis, Hashi Energy, Galana Energies and smaller independent operators. The rollout began with a pilot in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu in late 2025 before expanding nationwide.
One station manager from a Rubis outlet in Westlands confirmed smooth integration. “The eTIMS fuel module syncs directly with our pump controllers,” the manager said. “Every sale is recorded instantly. There’s no more manual record-keeping or guesswork. It also helps us reconcile daily stock and cash more accurately.”
KRA has set a phased compliance deadline. Stations already onboarded must fully transition to electronic receipts by March 31, 2026. All remaining fuel retailers nationwide are required to join the platform by June 30, 2026. Non-compliance will attract penalties under the Tax Procedures Act, including fines of up to KSh 1 million or suspension of trading licences.
The authority has also introduced incentives for early adopters, including expedited VAT refund processing for compliant stations and technical support for integration. “We are not here to punish but to partner,” Wattanga said. “Those who comply early will benefit from faster refunds and fewer audits.”
The rollout has been welcomed by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), which has been pushing for digitalisation of fuel sales data to curb adulteration and smuggling. EPRA Director-General Daniel Kiptoo said: “Real-time data from pumps will help us detect anomalies quickly. It is a game-changer for fuel quality control and market surveillance.”
However, some independent marketers have raised concerns about the cost of integration, especially for smaller stations using older pumps. The Kenya Independent Petroleum Association (KIPA) has asked KRA to extend the compliance window and provide subsidies for equipment upgrades.
KRA has committed to continued engagement. “We are holding weekly clinics and providing free training,” Wattanga said. “Any station struggling with integration can reach us through our dedicated eTIMS support line.”
The eTIMS fuel module is part of KRA’s broader digital transformation agenda, which includes mandatory eTIMS adoption for all VAT-registered businesses by July 2026. The authority projects that full implementation across sectors will significantly boost domestic revenue collection in the medium term.
As more stations come online, KRA says it will publish monthly compliance dashboards showing adoption rates, revenue tracked and enforcement actions. The goal, according to Wattanga, is “a transparent, fair and efficient tax system that supports business growth while protecting public revenue.”
