KRA to Recruit More Agents in Tax Cheats War

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) will recruit an additional 19 intelligence officers to spearhead surveillance against tax cheats.

The search for additional agents is aimed at beefing up its intelligence gathering and surveillance unit as former spymaster Commissioner-General Githii Mburu seeks to enhance tax compliance.

The taxman is expected to hire managers and supervisors in charge of intelligence management operations, ethics policy analysis, human surveillance, intelligence collections and profile development.

Others posts to be filled include managers in charge of intelligence collection in various parts of the country.

The move follow President Uhuru Kenyatta’s order in November 2018 to improve revenue collection by keeping an eye on suspected tax cheats and avoiders.

As part of the crackdown, the taxman is expected to monitor high-net-worth individuals whose lifestyles are not in tandem with the taxes paid.

KRA under Mr Mburu — who previously headed its intelligence division — has been using various databases to pursue suspected cheats, including bank statements, import records, motor vehicle registration details, Kenya Power records, water bills and data from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, which reveals individuals who own aircraft.

Motor registration details are also being used to smoke out individuals driving high-end vehicles but have little to show in terms of taxes remitted. Kenya Power meter registrations are helping the taxman identify landlords, some of whom the KRA has slapped with high tax demands.