President William Ruto has accused some Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) staff of aiding and abetting corruption.
Speaking on Friday after filing his tax returns, the head of state said some of the taxman’s workers do not work for the government but are out to fend for themselves.
“Collusion, wanton bribe-taking, and general corruption continue to pervade operations of KRA, facilitating tax evasion, massive leakages of potential revenue, and inability to meet revenue targets,” he said.
He added: “It has also been noted that KRA has not embraced a culture of supporting and facilitating taxpayers, alternative dispute resolution and the deployment of efficient technologies to improve revenue performance.”
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The President also noted that the taxman is uninspired compared to its “peers” in other countries.
“We collect 15 per cent of our GDP, but our peers like South Africa collect 22 to 28 per cent of GDP. KRA should question why we only collect 15 per cent when South Africa gets 22 to 25 per cent. KRA has remained lacklustre in its performance,” Dr Ruto said.
He committed to be shrewd in the use of taxes.
“My office shall be responsible for ensuring effectiveness, efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the use of public funds. I am not threatening KRA staff but they must do better,” he said.
“Although taxes are unavoidable, a government that seeks to mobilize tax revenues must inspire confidence that the tax administration will be fair, effective and efficient. This means that the revenue authority needs to be transparent, fair and accountable. It also means that the government is expected to be honest, and vigilant stewards of public resources.”
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