Tracking & Pre-Alerts
Track shipments and create pre-alerts so we can match your packages on arrival
Package tracking shows each step of your shipment's journey from our US warehouse to Kenya. A pre-alert tells us a package is coming, so we can match it to you as soon as it is scanned in.
Why Track & Pre-Alert?
Full Visibility
See each step from our US warehouse to Kenya
Faster Processing
Pre-alerts let us match your package to you as soon as it is scanned in
Peace of Mind
Confirm your items are on their way
Understanding Package Tracking
You track each package by its US carrier tracking number (the one on your pre-alert), and the steps update from our warehouse scans and from the airline or shipping line. How long the journey takes depends on the service you select: air shipping takes 7-14 working days from departure, while ocean freight takes 75-90 days but costs less for heavy or bulky items.
Tracking Methods:
- Dashboard: See every package and its tracking steps under My Shipments
- Email Notifications: Automatic emails when your package is received at our US warehouse, leaves the USA, is scanned into our Nairobi warehouse, is ready for pickup and is delivered
- SMS Alerts: Text messages at the same steps, sent to the phone number on your account
- Direct Tracking: Enter the carrier tracking number on our Track page, no login needed
Tracking Status Meanings
Pre-alert received; your package has not reached our US warehouse yet
Scanned in at our US warehouse
Weighed and measured at our US warehouse
Packed and waiting for the next departure
Departed the USA and on the way to Kenya by air or ocean freight
Arrived in Kenya and going through customs
At our Nairobi warehouse with your invoice available. Once it is paid, the package is released for collection or sent out for delivery
Collected, or delivered to your address (home deliveries show "Out for delivery" while on the way)
What is a Pre-Alert?
A pre-alert tells Kentex that a package is on its way to our US warehouse. When the package is scanned in, we match it to your pre-alert by its tracking number, ship it the way you chose (air or ocean) and bill it using the item value you declared.
Benefits of Pre-Alerting:
- Automatic matching when the package is scanned in
- Your air or ocean choice is applied to the package
- Tracking starts right away, shown as Pending until it arrives
- Earns Kentex Rewards when created before the package reaches our US warehouse
- Your declared value and special-handling answers are on file for customs and billing
Without a Pre-Alert:
- We have to identify the package from its label alone
- Packages with no air or ocean choice on record are billed as air freight
- No declared value or special-handling answers on file
- No pre-alert reward
How to Create a Pre-Alert
Access Pre-Alert Form
Log in to your Kentex account and use the Create Pre-Alert box on your Dashboard, or "New Pre-Alert" on My Shipments. To add several tracking numbers at once (paste a list or upload a CSV), use the Create Pre-Alert page.
Enter Required Information
Enter the carrier tracking number (not the store order number; Amazon tracking numbers start with TBA), choose air or ocean, and add the item value in USD and an optional short description. The pre-alert is linked to your account, but the package itself must be addressed with your warehouse code.
Declare Special Items
On the New Pre-Alert form and the Create Pre-Alert page, air shipments get safety questions: a lithium-ion battery inside a device (laptops, phones), a battery or power bank packed on its own (not allowed by air), liquids and perfume. The New Pre-Alert form asks ocean shipments about firearms, illegal items and export-restricted goods instead.
Submit Pre-Alert
Review and submit. The pre-alert shows as Pending until your package is scanned in at our US warehouse. Until then you can edit the tracking number, item value, air or ocean choice and safety answers (Dashboard, Classic view, My Pre-Alerts). Once the package is scanned in, the pre-alert is locked, so contact support if something needs changing.
Typical Tracking Timeline (Air Freight)
Create your pre-alert as soon as you have the carrier tracking number
Package scanned in at our US warehouse, and we notify you
Air cut-off: packages at our US warehouse by Monday make that week's flight
Departure from the USA, and we notify you
Air transit from departure to arrival in Kenya
Customs clearance, then scanned into our Nairobi warehouse, and we notify you
Ready for pickup with your invoice available, then collected or delivered once the invoice is paid
Ocean Freight Timeline: ocean shipments leave in the last week of every month and take 75-90 days. A good fit for heavy or non-urgent shipments, especially in our standard ocean boxes.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
"No Tracking Information Found"
- Our tracking shows a package once it has a pre-alert or has been scanned at our US warehouse. Before that, use the carrier's own tracking
- Use the carrier tracking number, not the store order number, and check it for typos or missing digits
- Create a pre-alert if you have not already
"Status Not Updating"
- Packed packages wait for the next departure: air every Wednesday (Monday cut-off), ocean in the last week of every month
- In the air or at sea, updates come from the airline or shipping line
- Landing and customs show on the tracking page without an email or text; the next message comes at the Nairobi warehouse scan
- Contact support if your package is past 7-14 working days from departure by air, or 75-90 days by ocean
"Package Not Matched to Pre-Alert"
- Check the pre-alert has the carrier tracking number, not the store order number
- Check the package was addressed with your name and warehouse code
- Correct a wrong tracking number with Edit; if the package has already arrived, it is matched as soon as the number is right
- Still not matched? Contact support with the tracking number
Ready to Track or Create a Pre-Alert?
Access your dashboard to track shipments or create pre-alerts so we can match your packages on arrival