Kenya’s Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA) will commence a national classification and grading exercise for accommodation and catering establishments in Nairobi, the South Rift region and Central/Mount Kenya from October 26, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen service quality and competitiveness in the country’s hospitality sector.
According to a public notice issued by the authority, the exercise will cover Nairobi and Kiambu counties, Nakuru and Baringo counties, and the Central/Mount Kenya counties, running through February 15, 2027.
The classification exercise will assess accommodation and catering establishments against quality standards approved under the East African Community (EAC) Classification System and Kenya’s Tourism Act, Cap. 381.
The exercise will be conducted in three phases:
– Nairobi and Kiambu counties: October 26 to December 4, 2026.
– Nakuru and Baringo counties: December 6–18, 2026.
– Central/Mount Kenya counties: January 11 to February 15, 2027.
TRA said the exercise is designed to improve service quality, strengthen the competitiveness of Kenya’s hospitality industry and build consumer confidence by promoting consistency, professionalism and compliance with recognised regional and international standards. The authority implements the EAC classification programme in collaboration with tourism industry stakeholders.
The authority has asked owners, directors, general managers and operations managers of pre-qualified accommodation and catering establishments, including Gold and Silver award recipients, to complete and submit an online pre-qualification form before the exercise begins. Guidelines are available through the TRA classification website. The authority also offers support sessions every Tuesday and Thursday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. via its online meeting platform. TRA Director General Norbert Talam said the exercise forms part of the authority’s broader commitment to enhancing service quality and strengthening Kenya’s position as a competitive tourism destination.
