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As you are aware that many Kenyan in the US send things to their loved ones back home? Kenyans would love to ship more but the charges by the well established means like DHL, FedEx and UPS are way too high, not to mention the hassle of customs clearing.
Several informal shippers have come up to solve this problem, but for most their integrity has been put into question. Some have failed to deliver within the specified time. A woman in New Jersey recently told me a story of how she sent clothes for a new born to Kenya only for the clothes to be delivered a year later.
Other shippers have totally failed to deliver goods, leaving the sends with huge financial losses that may be unrecoverable in some cases. There was such a case in Massachusetts recently where three containers were stuck at the port of Mombasa and the shipper could not be traced (READ: Kenyans in Diaspora in Danger of Losing Millions Worth of Goods Shipped to Kenya).
To ship or not to ship?
Should I buy the products here in the US and send them to Kenya, or should I just M-Pesa the money to my loved ones to buy the stuff back in Kenya? There is no direct answer to this question. It all depends on what you are shipping. Some items make sense others don’t. Those who often ship give various reasons, with the most common reasons being:
- High quality products available in the US market compared to the Kenyan market.
- Business reasons: Many people buy products for sale here at a cheaper price than they would in Kenya, anything from beauty products, to specialized clothing, and clearance items. One shipper told how she went to Wal-Mart during the summer clearance season and found some metal chairs regularly priced for $19.99 selling for $3.00. She went to all stores in her neighborhood and bought 500 pieces. One such piece in Kenya retails for Kshs 3,000. Be on the look out for such good deals, you never know what you come across.
- Women prefer to buy food stuff (rice, sugar, flour, cooking fat) and ship to Kenya as they are sure these items will benefit their families directly, rather than sending money, which could be easily diverted to other uses.
- People receive donations here in form of used and new items from friends and their places of work here in the US. In most cases it makes a lot of sense for them to ship such items home to benefit their loved one. Such items account for over 50% of the items that Kenyans ship from here to Kenya.
- Another major reason for shipping is the cost of storage locally. It makes sense to ship instead paying storage here for items month after month.
- Some people have strong attachments to their items and value them beyond money, making it a very strong point to ship.
Shipping Tips
Know what you are shipping: Some things do not work in Kenya, especially electronics, and if they do, it is a hassle to get them to work well. TVs for example need signal converters and power step-downs. If you need to send such items buy multi-system TV and electronics with power ratings of 220-240v. You can get these items at online sites like www.samstores.com. If you buy online have the items delivered directly to the shipper. A shipper like www.titanimpexshipping.com offers this service for free. They also have free pick service to the local stores, meaning you can buy an item from your local Home Depot or Wal-Mart and have it picked up by the shipper in the store near the shipper. In Wal-Mart this service is called Site to Store.
Know the Shipper: Do thorough research before you pick your shipper. Ask friends who have had real experience shipping items to Kenya. Some shippers for example have used preachers for endorsement but this is not a good reason to use someone just because your pastor told you so. Ask the shipper for testimonials, real people who have used their services in your neighborhood. Ask simple questions like: Do you have a website? Do you have an office in Kenya? Where do I pick my items in Kenya? Will you clear the items on my behalf at the port? I have heard of shippers who warehouse their cargo in Kariobangi in Nairobi. Surely, how can you trust your goods in such places? How do you send your people to Kariobangi to pick valuables? Let the shipper be clear on charges, and beware of hidden charges. This is probably one of the best indicators of whether your goods will get o the desired destination or not.
Do not ship Left Hand Drive vehicles: Left Hand Drive (LHD) vehicles are not allowed in Kenya. If you have RHD vehicle you can ship it duty free if your have been away from Kenya for more than a year. It has to be eight years old or newer for it to cleared by customs in Kenya. Kenyans in the US are disadvantaged here for we are being forced to leave our cars behind unlike folks in Europe who move back to Kenya with their cars. Efforts to get authority to import a car from other countries and have it shipped to Kenya duty free for people moving back have borne no fruits, despite appeals to the government. Everybody should lobby our Embassy in Washington, DC vigorously to pursue this matter. We are Kenyans like others who live in Europe and everywhere else and as such we should be treated equally. I do not see any difficult in proving that you have owned your vehicle here for some time before your move back to Kenya.
Motorcycles are good to go as long as they are 8 years old or newer.
Time Frame
Shipping by sea from the US to Kenya takes at least 6 weeks. If someone promises anything faster ask for a written guarantee. It takes that long because there is no direct line from US to Mombasa. There is usually a transshipment place either in South Africa or Dubai.
By Peter Ndungu
The writer of this article is an independent shipper through Titan Impex LLC. He can be reached on titanimpexllc@gmail.com | www.titanimpexshipping.com | Tel.908-917-1725 | Fax 866-520-0119.
The views expressed on this op-ed/blog are solely those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of Mwakilishi News Media, or any other individual, organization, or institution. The content on this op-ed/blog is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual. The author himself is responsible for the content of the posts on this op-ed/blog, not any other organization or institution which he might be seen to represent. The author is not responsible, nor will he be held liable, for any statements made by others on this op-ed/blog in the op-ed blog comments, nor the laws which they may break in this country or their own, through their comments’ content, implication, and intent. The author reserves the right to delete comments if and when necessary. The author is not responsible for the content or activities of any sites linked from this op-ed/blog. Unless otherwise indicated, all translations and other content on here are original works of the op-ed/blog author and the copyrights for those works belong to the author.
Comments
Good post.
i tried working with the titanimpex..asked couple of questions but got half answers. stil confused on whether i should use them or not.
I have shipped severally for 5yrs,sometimes even 3 times in 1year through titan impex shipping.My goods have all been received,intact and within 2 months.I ship various items from electronics,beauty products,clothing etc.Have never had an issue.They send you a message detailing when their pickups are to be done from various locations,give you the number and email address you can reach them to arrange your pick up ,and when you do contact them they will give you the local pickup fee.They have no hidden charges.What you pay them here is final.When the goods arrive ,they call your Kenyan contact to collect the goods from Express Kenya.
You can find their shipping rates on their website www.titanimpexshipping.com.
I will vouch for them as trustworthy and of high integrity. All my friends and family that I have introduced them to have alot of praises for them
Customers service is not that high, it is just sad when trying to communicate and trying to find details on your shipment. Can be a little risky though.
Brother Ndung'u you are a godsend. Please give me a rough estimate of shipping from various ports in the US on the east coast and Houston. Thanks
I have used Titan on many occassions and they have delivered every time. You can certainly trust them with your furniture, appliances, machines, clothes to your loved ones, etc.
Keep up the good work Bw. Ndungu.
Paul Gichuhi - New Jersey.
I concur with Paul. Mburu is an honest and great businessman and that is why Titan is growing. They can now pick up goods from your doorstep straight to your loved ones with no matatas again and again. Kudos Mr. Mburu!
Hi?
Thanks a lot for the good work you are doing. Keep it up.
I want to buy a motor grader from USA. Is it cheaper to send it as it is or containerized? Kindly give me those costs.
What will be your cost if I engage you to cordinate the logistics from USA./
Rgds,
David O. Abongo.
The best way to ship a Grader is containerization. Total charges from Dallas, TX to Mombasa is $6,590.00. We can source, buy and ship the grader for you. Your purchase budget should be anywhere $19,000.00 to $35,000.00 John Deer. Caterpillars are more expensive for oblivous reasons.
Mwatu Kioko
469-264-1144
Buying Heavy Machinery
Since the African continent is a growing economy, there is excitement from diasporans to invest, which is a good sign of confidence in our economies. But, the bigger question is, how many investors are taking time to do due diligence?. Whenn it comes to heavy machinery, Chinese made caterpillar machine is not equal to American made machine. Chinese model are cheaper, but not durable. As a matter of fact, spare parts are not compatible.
Before you invest your hard earned money, do your home work, consult with many experts as possible and by the end of the day, you will not regret.
Mwatu Kioko
Director
Savannah Cargo
www.savannahcargo.com
469-264-1144
How much would it cost to send a motor bike from Atlanta?
I am yet someone shipping from Edmonton Canada to Kenya
Hello,.
Am Gilbert from Nairobi. I recently procured a printing machine from Texas and am currently looking for a reliable shipping agent to get it to me soonest posible Kindly get back to me with what yuo can be able to do for me,
The dimensions are width 34, depth 30, height 47 and 595 pounds for the printer,
36x31x43 at 231 pounds for the finisher
Regards,
Gilbert.
Hi Gilbert Gakuo,
Did you get a shipper for your printer, am in the same situation too. Any help and advice please.
@ Peter Ndungu and @ Mwatu Kioko
How much would it cost to send a motorcycle from Boston to Nairobi.
I have 2 motor cycles of about $5000 each.
Additionally - how much would it cost to ship a whole container of household goods. Where I pay for the whole container and I can fill it to the max with whatever items I choose.
I am hoping to get the all the numbers and logistics before the Christmas season is here.
Thank you for all the help.
For all your air and sea shipment needs from all 48 states, You can depend on Kentex Cargo. Good thing is with Kentex cargo, you only pay once goods are delivered to Kenya.
Weekly air shipping and Monthly sea shipping with 100% delivery rate 2 years running.
Details at http://kentexcargo.com
Titan; they have a good reputation but am not sure I will use them again after a big disappointment. My shipment of items intended to be used during my visit to Kenya was delivered 2 months after returning to the states. In total the shipment was 3 months late from promised time. I tried to enquire several times as to what the problem was and all I could get was its stuck at the port. They only gave half answers and I even had an uncle who works at the port willing to help but that idea was not entertained at all. The whole shipment was a waste of time and money and lead to a lot of inconvenience and Mr. Ndungu did not seem to care much about that. If you are travelling with a special needs child I suggest shipping with Titan at least 1 yr before travel that way you are sure the items are delivered before you get there
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We have 8 x 40 foot tank to be shipped from Corpus Christie to Mombasa, Kenya.
However, we need to fill tank with D2 (Diesel Fuel) while they are on board Vessel and offload to pipeline in Mombasa, Kenya when they arrived there.
We have all necessary permits from the Kenya Government to import D2 as there are big shortage of the fuel in Kenya.
If any shipping company can accommodate us, please, we would like to hear from you asap, thank you.
Best regards,
Taipan Kinlock
Phone / WhatsApp: +1-305-527-9077
Skype: jatlencorporation
eMail: taipan@kelynem.com
Shipping directly through the kenyan postal services will cost you an arm and a leg. There are many companies who will offer these same services at a fraction of the price and are hassle free. Thanks for that by the way.
Ahmed - https://shipiing.com
Hi Ahmed,
This was a excellent informative post you write on this page about the shipment of products door to door easily with in a required period of a time in a cheap delivery charges ,if you want to received a product quickly with in a very cheap delivery charges then the best solution is you try Proprepandfulfillment product deviled services which is help full for you to solve the problem of receiving product quickly through shipment with in a cheap delivery charges and also give you a product shipment tracking code for your information about the delivery status of your product with the quick email and fast reply,My opinion is you try this great service comming in all over the word today.
Thanks
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I would like to ship with you
Send via Fedex from US to Kenya if you want to be conned and scammed and taxed more than 100%.
1. The con starts at the parking lot. As soon as you park at the Cargo Center, someone (with an official badge) will approach you wanting to help you. Tell them to buzz off (they are con artists who will tell you they are there to help you to get a package but in reality they are not only a nuisance but they will later charge you a commission for helping you). If you don't pay up, they will threaten you! It's like these street window washers. They will clean your car window without your permission and if you don't pay, they will break your window. TELL them you don't need their help.
2. The customs people will charge you whatever they want. Even if you produce the receipt, they will come up with duty and tax based on what their "book" says. They quoted me tax that was 250% of the value of my package.
3. If that wasn't enough, FedEx clearing center will charge (5000ksh) for clearing the item.
it is also a total hassle. It took about 3 hrs to get my package after having to fork out money for those scammers.
I used this company to ship and half of my stuff was stolen. The excuse I got is that my stuff was stolen at the port. Promised to look into the matter but they stopped answering my calls. For business that is a no go.They lost a customer and often steer friends away from them.
Hallo Shiro,
Next time please contact Collins on 0723 815 811 for any shipment.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
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Hello...someone sent me a gift(iPhone and a laptop)...do i need to clear at the port by paying custom duty or not?...there is this shipping company MyUs shipping limited...need to know
A truly trusted shipper with a good track record. Keep it up Bwana Ndungu!
Comfort Munoru Mwangi
Chair-KDDC