The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has unveiled a 20-hour scheduled maintenance exercise that might temporarily disrupt normal operations for eTIMS and TIMS users. The maintenance was affirmed by KRA through a notice seen by, with the maintenance expected to start at exactly 6pm on Wednesday, July 22. It is expected to run all through the night and into the following day, Thursday, July 23, at around 2pm.
“Please be advised that there will be scheduled maintenance of eTIMS & TIMS from Wednesday, 22nd July, 2026, 6pm to Thursday, 23rd July, 2026, 2pm. We regret any inconvenience caused,”KRA stated. During this time, the platforms go completely offline with users temporarily unable to log in, generate e-invoices, or transmit data to KRA servers in real-time.
This routine downtime allows KRA to optimise network speeds, enhance security, and deploy system upgrades. According to KRA data, approximately 245,000 businesses that have been fully onboarded into the eTIMS and TIMS portal will experience a disruption in key services. With the system down, micro and small traders who depend on eTIMS Lite through WhatsApp or USSD will be locked out during the maintenance window.
Additionally, consultants, lawyers, and freelancers who rely on the Online Portal or Client software to issue invoices will also feel the impact, unable to process transactions until services resume. Large corporations and supermarkets that integrate billing systems with eTIMS via API for automated invoicing, along with non-VAT registered sole proprietorships tracking turnover, will also be affected. Similarly, TIMS users, including traditional retailers like supermarkets and hardware shops using point-of-sale ETR devices, alongside early adopters who invested in compliant machines since 2021, will also be affected.
To prepare for this downtime, businesses are required to transmit all pending invoices and submit necessary declarations before the maintenance window kicks off. Alternative Invoicing is also encouraged since the portals will be out of service, businesses can use offline solutions like eTIMS Client software and can still issue receipts. Once the maintenance is complete, businesses are required to upload and transmit the transactions they recorded during the downtime to track the chain of feedback and largely to avoid any confusion that might arise.