Which port should bitumen for Uganda, Rwanda or Zambia come through?

Mombasa for Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and eastern DR Congo; Dar es Salaam for Tanzania, Burundi, Zambia and Malawi. Rwanda is served by both, and moves most of its cargo of all kinds through Dar es Salaam.

Why do landed prices differ between Kenya and Tanzania?

Kenya's declared average is pulled down by a large share of low-priced sanctioned-origin product, while Tanzania pays a premium for European named-refinery grades. A legitimate importer in Kenya sells against that floor, which is why documented origin matters to agency and donor-funded contractors.

What does it cost to land bitumen in Kenya on top of CIF?

Import duty 10%, import declaration fee 2.5% and railway levy 2% on the customs value, VAT 16% on the total, the KEBS conformity fee, port handling and clearing, then road or rail to the depot.

East Africa · East Africa

Bitumen Supplier, East Africa

Two gateways, five core markets, and a supply chain reset by Hormuz

Declared bitumen imports in 2025: Kenya 61,774 tonnes, Tanzania 53,745, Rwanda 23,390 and Uganda 15,470; DR Congo declared 32,177 tonnes in 2024. The UAE is the largest named origin in every one of them except Kenya, where just over half of 2025 supply came from a sanctioned origin declared at about USD 462 per tonne, some USD 70 below Gulf product. Declared landed values run from about USD 500 to 590 per tonne at the coast to about USD 600 in Uganda and USD 680 in Rwanda, and European product lands at USD 800 to 950 where buyers pay for named-refinery provenance.

2026 changed the price, not the demand. Drummed freight from the Gulf to Mombasa went from USD 90-100 per tonne in late February to USD 230 in April, with war-risk surcharges on top, and ex-Mombasa drum prices rose by about 40 per cent; Kenyan imports still rose in the first quarter. On the landed side, Kenya applies the EAC common external tariff of 10 per cent, a 2.5 per cent import declaration fee, a 2 per cent railway levy and 16 per cent VAT, and bitumen needs a KEBS certificate of conformity before shipment. Transit from Mombasa to the Uganda border at Malaba averaged 68 hours in the first quarter of 2026, against 102 a year earlier.

CBIL brokers penetration 60/70 and 80/100 into Mombasa and Dar es Salaam in new 180 kg drums, and in bulk for receivers with heated storage, on CFR or CIF terms, with inspection at filling and the refinery named on the certificate of origin. We work from a named buyer's grade, quantity, delivery basis and timing. For a full picture of one market before committing to it (customs imports by origin, landed cost to depot, duties and standards, demand from road programmes and corridor costs), CBIL also prepares commissioned market studies.

Need the full picture on this lane before you commit: imports by origin, landed cost, duties, standards, demand and logistics? Commission a market study.

Need the ship as well? Our chartering desk prices Türkiye to East Africa bitumen freight on LaycanDesk.

The market in figures

Declared imports, latest year: Kenya 61,774 t · Tanzania 53,745 t · DR Congo 32,177 t (2024) · Rwanda 23,390 t · Uganda 15,470 t
Gateways: Mombasa: Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, eastern DR Congo · Dar es Salaam: Tanzania, Burundi, Zambia, Malawi · Rwanda: both
Declared CIF, 2025: Coast ~USD 500-590 · Uganda ~USD 597 · Rwanda ~USD 677 per tonne
Gulf drum freight to Mombasa: USD 90-100/t (Feb 2026) · USD 230/t (Apr 2026)
Kenya charges on CIF: Duty 10% · IDF 2.5% · railway levy 2% · VAT 16% · KEBS certificate of conformity

Landed values are the importing country's declared CIF, not CBIL prices.

Questions buyers ask

Which port should bitumen for Uganda, Rwanda or Zambia come through?: Mombasa for Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and eastern DR Congo; Dar es Salaam for Tanzania, Burundi, Zambia and Malawi. Rwanda is served by both, and moves most of its cargo of all kinds through Dar es Salaam.
Why do landed prices differ between Kenya and Tanzania?: Kenya's declared average is pulled down by a large share of low-priced sanctioned-origin product, while Tanzania pays a premium for European named-refinery grades. A legitimate importer in Kenya sells against that floor, which is why documented origin matters to agency and donor-funded contractors.
What does it cost to land bitumen in Kenya on top of CIF?: Import duty 10%, import declaration fee 2.5% and railway levy 2% on the customs value, VAT 16% on the total, the KEBS conformity fee, port handling and clearing, then road or rail to the depot.
Can CBIL prepare a market study for a specific East African country?: Yes. A commissioned study covers declared imports by origin, landed cost to depot, duties and standards, demand from road programmes and corridor costs, with a source on every figure. A written preview is provided before any fee.