The Kenya Tourism Fund has upgraded its eLevy portal to simplify remittance of the 2% Tourism Levy for hospitality businesses. This move aims to improve compliance and reduce administrative burdens. Businesses are urged to update their details immediately.
The Kenya Tourism Fund, the government body tasked with growing Kenya's tourism industry, announced the changes on March 3, 2026. "We are glad to inform you that we have upgraded the e-levy portal. Kindly log into the eLevy portal and proceed to update your details, file returns and make payments," the Fund said in a statement.
The upgraded portal now offers automated levy calculations, better record-keeping tools and the convenience of paying from anywhere. This implies that hotel owners will no longer need to make trips to government offices. The 2 per cent Tourism Levy applies to gross sales from accommodation and food services, targeting a wide range of businesses including hotels, restaurants, Airbnbs and online booking platforms operating within Kenya.
Every hospitality business regulated under the Hotels and Restaurants Act is legally required to remit this levy, and the deadline is firm: payments must land before the 10th of every following month. Miss that deadline and the penalties kick in fast, with defaulters facing a fine of Ksh5,000 or 3 per cent of the outstanding levy amount, whichever is higher, making timely remittance a financial necessity.
The Tourism Fund says the system upgrade is designed to eliminate the confusion and delays that previously plagued the remittance process, streamlining how agents file, pay and store levy records. The move comes as the government intensifies efforts to widen Kenya's tax collection net, with digital portals increasingly being used to bring informal and semi-formal tourism businesses into the revenue fold.
The Kenya Kwanza administration, through the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), introduced several tax measures and crackdowns on websites, social media sites, and digital service providers, including a 5 per cent withholding tax on digital content creators effective January 2026, targeting earnings from advertising, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and subscriptions on platforms like Facebook. It also replaced the 1.5 per cent Digital Services Tax with a Significant Economic Presence tax, imposing a 3 per cent levy on gross turnover of non-resident platforms, including Netflix, Amazon, Uber, and Airbnb, serving Kenyan users.
Business owners without accounts are encouraged to sign up directly through the Tourism Fund Portal, while those experiencing difficulties can reach the Fund's support team via 0728 337 499 or the Tourism Fund mail address.