Forget waiting for taxpayers to come to us. We are going to the markets. The trading centres. The business ecosystems where entrepreneurs wake up every day and hustle to build something.
During the week, KRA took its taxpayer engagement drive deep into Western Kenya, hitting the ground in Kisii, Kisumu, and Siaya, not from behind a desk, but right inside markets, trading centres, and business ecosystems where entrepreneurs actually work.
The initiative, led by Commissioner for Micro and Small Taxpayers George Obell, has seen KRA hold a series of taxpayer forums in counties across the region, including Kisii, Kisumu, and Siaya, where traders, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders have been engaged on their tax obligations and the support available from KRA.
Speaking during the engagements, Obell noted that despite Kenya having more than 22 million registered taxpayers, only about seven million pay some form of tax. Of these, approximately 3.2 million are formally employed and remit Pay As You Earn (PAYE). He explained that this imbalance undermines equity in the tax system, with limited knowledge about tax obligations being a key contributor to the gap.
Why Western Kenya?
The region is one of Kenyaโs most significant tax bases outside Nairobi, with 3 million+ registered taxpayers and a revenue potential exceeding KSh 2 trillion. Yet only a fraction currently remit taxes. That gap is not just a revenue problem; it is an equity problem. When a few carry the burden that many should share, the system is not fair. And often, the missing piece is not willingness, it is knowledge.
๐๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐โ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ:
Meeting taxpayers where they are, forums held directly within business communities, not in boardrooms
Demystifying eTIMS, clarifying that the Electronic Tax Invoice Management System is not a new tax, but a digital tool to help businesses keep better records
Introducing Huduma Popote, a bold new initiative to deploy tax expert agents at the grassroots level, bringing tax services closer to small businesses across the country
Simplifying compliance, including flexible Turnover Tax payment options designed to ease cash flow pressure for micro and small enterprises
The commissioner emphasized that KRAโs role goes beyond revenue collection to include educating citizens about taxation and creating simplified systems that make compliance easier for businesses.
โThe Authority is keen on deepening engagement with taxpayers across Western Kenya by meeting them within their business ecosystems, including markets and trading centres, to provide education on tax compliance and address the challenges they face,โ said Obell.
What question would you want answered at a KRA taxpayer forum?
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