OPINION: Kenya’s economic future depends on a truthful conversation about tax reforms

Recent online allegations targeting Kenya’s Tax Administration, the newly established Micro and Small Taxpayers Department, have stirred significant public reaction.

The accusations, which range from intimidation to claims of unofficial revenue “quotas,” are undeniably serious and deserving of scrutiny. Yet they also raise an important question: why would a member of staff take issue with performance targets set to support the country’s budgetary needs?

Public officers, especially those working in critical institutions such as KRA, are well aware that working under pressure is part of the job description. With a national budget of KSh 4.29 trillion and KRA expected to raise approximately KSh 3 trillion, staff must rise to the occasion. Missing revenue targets is no longer a matter of inconvenience, it places the country at risk of heightened borrowing.

Kenya’s public debt has already surpassed KSh 12 trillion, reaching about KSh 12.06 trillion by September 2025, equivalent to 67.3 percent of GDP. This worrying position has been driven by a growing reliance on domestic borrowing alongside maturing external obligations. In such an environment, tax administration is not a casual undertaking; it is a national duty tied directly to economic stability.

Integrity is an inseparable pillar of any tax administration. The Bribery Act, 2016 criminalizes both offering and receiving bribes, placing equal responsibility on all participants in corrupt activities.

If any KRA staff member engages in collecting unofficial revenue from taxpayers, that individual should not only be dismissed but should also face the full force of the law. Fortunately, KRA has invested significantly in systems meant to prevent, detect, and punish such behaviour.

One of its most successful tools is the iWhistle platform, a secure, anonymous reporting system that has strengthened anti-corruption efforts. Last financial year alone, iWhistle enabled the recovery of KSh 6.8 billion from 821 verified cases.

KRA has consistently collaborated with investigative agencies to prosecute wrongdoers and take action against internal staff implicated in corruption. Only last month, 24 employees were released from duty after corruption-related investigations confirmed misconduct.

Complementing iWhistle are lifestyle audits, the Informer Reward Scheme, which grants whistle-blowers up to KSh 5 million, and an Integrity Award Framework that recognizes exemplary officers. These mechanisms raise an important question: why would any staff member choose to engage in collecting unauthorised revenue instead of using the anonymous systems available to protect both themselves and the country’s economy? With these structures in place, many of the online claims circulating appear not only suspicious but inherently unreliable.

Such narratives are far from harmless. If left unchallenged, they can undermine the integrity and independence of Kenya’s tax enforcement processes. The Authority must therefore ensure that internal discipline is upheld and that staff who bypass formal reporting channels in favour of social media theatrics are questioned. Kenyans deserve an effective and efficient tax system, one capable of safeguarding economic progress.

Those familiar with developments in tax administration know that KRA is undergoing one of the most comprehensive institutional overhauls in its history. The ongoing reforms aim to improve taxpayer services, modernise technology, seal revenue leakages, and create a predictable environment for businesses.

Crucially, they have drastically reduced avenues for corruption, arbitrary discretion, and unwarranted interference, areas where malicious actors previously thrived.

The public courts must thereofore question why, if the allegations being circulated were genuine, the individuals involved chose to sidestep the available formal mechanisms. Resorting to anonymous blogs and social media instead of using established oversight tools can be defined as a classic tactic of actors seeking to derail reforms, or erode public trust in Kenya’s tax administration.

The Writer is a Tax Communication Expert and Adviser