… Yet formal sector workers shoulder the heaviest burden of tax collection apparatus, contributing the lion's share of the Sh2.2 trillion that the Kenya Revenue Authority targets annually. …
… Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, presenting the 2026-27 budget statement to the National Assembly on Thursday, June 11, said the uniform June 30 deadline for all taxpayers left the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) with no room to verify and validate filed returns before a new …
… He further warned that expanded powers for the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to access taxpayer information could create what he termed a “tax surveillance state” that exposes citizens to excessive monitoring and punitive taxation. …
Audio By VocalizeThe Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is set to assume unprecedented powers that critics say will make it judge, jury, and executioner in tax disputes. …
… Officials from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) defended the clearance process, stating that the sugar was imported as an industrial raw material for refining and not for direct human consumption, and therefore met import requirements.However, MPs remained unconvinced, arguing t …
… Speaking during a sensitisation forum that brought together over 500 youths drawn from different sectors at Isanjiro Primary, Leonard Shimaka, a director at the Kenya Revenue Authority and patron of the Shimaka Foundation, said misinformation and disinformation have become a grow …
… Taxing the money earned through the penalty has been contested, with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) arguing that it constitutes a taxable service. …
… Mbadi also rejected claims that the Finance Bill 2026 seeks to grant additional powers to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), maintaining that the proposal primarily aims to improve administrative efficiency and taxpayer compliance rather than increase enforcement powers.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has cleared Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers National Treasurer Wicks Mwethi Njenga of forgery allegations, directing the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to close its inquiry due to lack of evidence. The complaint had alleged Njenga used different names across his identity card, university degree, and TSC records.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has cleared Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers National Treasurer Wicks Mwethi Njenga of forgery allegations, directing the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to close its inquiry due to lack of evidence. The complaint had alleged Njenga used different names across his identity card, university degree, and TSC records.
A Kenyan food processor's stalled Uganda export opportunity illustrates that regional trade success depends first on reliable products, disciplined record-keeping, and operational systems within the business itself—not on regional trade agreements. Kenya's digital infrastructure already enables SMEs to meet these standards through mobile payments, electronic invoicing, customs systems, and digital logistics tools.
An opinion piece argues that tax advocacy practitioners should prioritize explaining to individuals and companies what taxes to pay, why, and where; how to remain compliant with the law; and who is accountable for tax collection and use, to build trust with taxpayers.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has advertised a vacancy for Commission Secretary and Chief Executive Officer on a four-year renewable contract. Applicants must be Kenyan citizens with a university degree and at least five years of management experience, preferably in electoral matters, finance, governance, public administration, law or political science.
An opinion piece questions President Ruto's announcement of full government funding for public university tuition, arguing it lacks a clear implementation plan and citing his past record of unfulfilled promises, while noting the Student-Centred Funding Model introduced in 2023 has excluded vulnerable students.
The Alcoholic Beverages Association of Kenya reports that illicit alcohol makes up about 60 per cent of consumption in the country, despite multi-agency crackdowns that seized counterfeit products valued at nearly Sh790 million in Nairobi during the 2025/26 financial year. The association welcomed recent government fiscal reforms and called for stronger enforcement, border controls, and consumer awareness to curb illegal trade.
More Kenyan gamblers are moving to platforms licensed in Norway, drawn by what they describe as fairer odds, transparent terms, and tax-free winnings, reflecting awareness of regulation and player protection.
A multi-agency team led by Public Health PS Mary Muthoni seized more than 17,000 packets of suspected counterfeit cigarettes during an operation in Thika, Kiambu County. Authorities expressed concern about illicit tobacco products allegedly being smuggled into Kenya through neighbouring countries, and said the seized products will be destroyed if laboratory tests confirm they are counterfeit.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed President William Ruto's defeat in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election was the result of what he described as the President's betrayal of the Mt Kenya region, telling supporters that the loss reflected growing disillusionment among voters who overwhelmingly backed Kenya Kwanza in 2022.
Kenya's Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal challenging tax exemptions granted to Japanese companies, consultants, and employees working on major infrastructure projects under bilateral financing agreements signed between Kenya and Japan from 2007 to 2020. The exemptions, implemented through Legal Notice No. 15 of 2021, shield Japanese firms involved in projects such as power distribution improvements, geothermal generation, and irrigation development from Kenya's Income Tax Act provisions.
Kenya launched a digital livestock tracking system called ANITRAC at a national meat conference, designed to strengthen animal health, improve food safety, and meet international traceability requirements to help grow the livestock sector from its current Sh390 billion annual contribution toward a Sh1 trillion goal within two years.
Members of the National Assembly's Agriculture and Livestock Committee have called on the government to allow the National Biosafety Authority to recruit more technical staff, citing the need to regulate GMOs effectively across the country. The NBA's acting CEO said the Authority has 56 staff but needs 106 to cover all 24 border entry points.
A woman with disability is pursuing court action against the Kenya Revenue Authority's decision to detain a motor vehicle she purchased at Mombasa Port over import duty, arguing that KRA discriminated against her by denying a constitutional waiver granted to persons with disabilities. She is seeking a court order to quash KRA's decision, compel issuance of an exemption certificate, and declare that disability protections cannot be legally restricted to physical or visual disabilities only.
Technology solutions can simplify tax compliance for Kenyan businesses by automating repetitive administrative tasks across procurement, accounting, and expense management, reducing manual invoice generation and reconciliation work while supporting the Kenya Revenue Authority's digital transformation agenda.
ODM leader James Orengo has criticized the wave of political fundraisers across the country, describing large cash contributions by leaders as bribery that should attract scrutiny from investigative agencies. He said unexplained wealth should be investigated by the EACC and KRA, and argued that no president could legitimately contribute Ksh 100 million in one weekend.
Kenya Revenue Authority increased tax collection to Sh2.568 trillion in the 2025/26 financial year, up 10.5 per cent from Sh2.323 trillion the previous year.
The Copyright Tribunal dismissed a preliminary objection by the Kenya Revenue Authority and its Commissioner General, allowing a software copyright dispute filed by Lawrence Miruka Bosire to proceed to a full hearing. Bosire alleges unauthorized use of his copyrighted geo-mapping and rental revenue management software in the development of KRA's Electronic Rental Income Tax System (eRITS).
Kenya Revenue Authority reported collecting Ksh.2.844 trillion in the 2025/26 financial year, a 10.6% increase from Ksh.2.572 trillion in the previous year, driven by strong performance in manufacturing, energy, financial services, ICT, and wholesale trade sectors.
Kenya's High Court in Kisumu has ordered top government officials to account within seven days for the country's duty-free rice importation programme after Ahero rice farmers challenged the policy for lack of transparency and public participation. The court directed the Cabinet Secretaries for Treasury and Agriculture, the KRA and AFA to file detailed responses on the implementation of the Gazette Notice authorizing duty-free importation of 490,000 metric tonnes of Grade 1 milled white rice by November 30.
Kenya's High Court in Kisumu has ordered the government to disclose details of a duty-free importation scheme for 490,000 metric tonnes of Grade 1 milled white rice, directing the Treasury, Agriculture Ministry, AFA and KRA to account for the programme within seven days following a petition by the Ahero Rice Farmers Association.
Kenya Ports Authority has defended the Sh8.344 billion Port of Mombasa road infrastructure project, stating that the contract for the 1.8 kilometre project was competitively awarded to the lowest bidder and is 52 per cent complete with no cost variation. The project includes construction of a road, bridge, retention wall, drainage systems, and transfer of power line, water pipeline and ICT cables.
The Kenya Revenue Authority announced that bottled water manufactured or imported into the country will no longer be subject to excise duty or require excise stamps, effective July 1, 2026, following amendments under the Finance Act, 2026. Manufacturers must settle outstanding excise duty obligations for June 2026 and file returns by July 20, 2026.
Kenya Revenue Authority has launched a six-month tax amnesty programme (July–December 2026) offering taxpayers waivers of up to 100 per cent on penalties, interest, and fines for tax debts accrued up to December 31, 2025. The initiative builds on previous amnesty cycles that recovered Sh80.9 billion in principal tax payments.
The Kenya Revenue Authority has relaunched a tax amnesty programme under the Finance Act 2026, running from July 1 to December 31, 2026, offering 100 per cent waivers on penalties, interest and fines for tax debts accrued up to December 31, 2025. Taxpayers who have cleared principal tax liabilities or filed pending returns will automatically qualify for waivers without submitting an application.
The Kenya Revenue Authority has reintroduced a tax amnesty programme running from July 1 to December 31, 2026, offering a full waiver on penalties, interest and fines for tax debts accumulated up to the end of 2025. Taxpayers who have already paid their principal tax obligations automatically qualify for relief, while those with unpaid principal liabilities must settle them during the programme period to benefit from the waiver.
Kenya's Finance Act 2026 has taken effect, raising excise duty on imported sugar to Ksh.40 per kilogramme from Ksh.7.50, an increase of more than 400 per cent. The government intends the move to protect local sugar farmers and millers, though it is expected to raise imported sugar costs and affect consumer prices.
The Kenya Revenue Authority, working with a multi-agency team, destroyed contraband goods valued at Ksh.218 million seized during enforcement operations in Nairobi and the Coastal Region. The confiscated items included illicit excisable products such as beer, spirits, and bottled water that violated regulations on manufacture, importation, and sale, featuring counterfeit or swapped excise stamps and unlicensed production.
Invest Kenya and Jumia Kenya have pledged to deepen collaboration to strengthen the country's e-commerce ecosystem, positioning digital trade as a driver of investment, innovation, job creation and inclusive economic growth, according to discussions between their chief executives.
The Kenya Revenue Authority, working with a multi-agency enforcement team, destroyed contraband goods worth Sh218 million seized during crackdowns in Nairobi and the Coast region. The illicit excisable products—including beer, spirits, and bottled water—involved counterfeit excise stamps, unlicensed manufacture, and other tax evasion schemes.
New rules and tax measures from the Finance Act 2026, which received Presidential assent last week, take effect today. The Act focuses on tax administration reform and includes clauses empowering KRA to summarily collect certain debts and measures affecting local manufacturers relying on imported materials.