Who regulates what
| Authority | Role in the transaction |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs | Issues mineral dealer licences and the gold export permit; maintains the licensing cadastre through the Directorate of Mines. |
| Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) | Tax Compliance Certificate, Export Declaration Form, customs entry and clearance, royalty and duty position. |
| Financial Reporting Centre (FRC) | Kenya's financial intelligence unit; the reporting counterpart for anti-money-laundering obligations. |
| Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) | Standards and, where applicable, conformity requirements touching exported goods. |
| Customs and border control | Physical export clearance and the record that the consignment lawfully left the country. |
Verify: The precise sequence and current fee, royalty and reporting position for a specific consignment should be confirmed with a Kenyan advocate or licensed clearing agent at the time of shipment.
The document set
Reported requirements for a gold export permit application and the shipment that follows include the items below. Treat this as the shape of a genuine file rather than a definitive statutory list.
- Gold export permit issued by the Ministry of Mining.
- Evidence of lawful ownership of the material being exported.
- A valid mineral dealer's trading or processing licence held by the exporter.
- Assay certificate establishing fineness, issued by a licensed laboratory or refinery.
- Tax Compliance Certificate from the Kenya Revenue Authority.
- Export Declaration Form (EDF) lodged with KRA.
- Certificate of origin.
- Commercial invoice and packing list, consistent in weight and description with the assay.
- Customs entry and clearance documentation.
- Insurance certificate covering the consignment in transit.
- Airway bill from the carrier.
Royalty on minerals is a continuing obligation of the rights holder under the Kenyan regime, and a rate of five per cent of gross value is widely cited for gold. Because fiscal terms are revised from time to time, confirm the figure applying on your shipment date rather than relying on any published summary, including this one.
How to read the file as a buyer
You are not auditing the state; you are checking that one story is told consistently by every document. Four cross-checks catch most fabrications.
- Entity consistency. The licensed entity name, the exporter named on the permit, the invoicing entity and the bank account holder should all be the same legal person. Any mismatch requires an explanation in writing before funds move.
- Weight and fineness consistency. Gross weight, net weight and fineness should reconcile across the assay certificate, the packing list, the invoice and the airway bill.
- Date order. A permit cannot predate the assay it relies on; a customs entry cannot predate the permit; an airway bill cannot predate the entry.
- Independent confirmation. Licence and permit references should be confirmable with the issuing authority. Documents that can only ever be confirmed by the seller are not evidence.