This archive report was first published on 11 June 2020.
On June 11, 2020, Meru County Revenue Board issued a stern warning to Baite TV, a local vernacular station, to clear a Sh509,203 tax debt within one week.
The debt, which has accrued since 2016, includes single business permits, vehicle branding, change of land use from agricultural to commercial use, and a communication mast.
Meru Revenue Board General Manager John Ntoiti stated that failure to comply would result in the station's property being impounded, and the manager, Murega Baicu, could face arrest.
“The alternative to arresting the manager is to remove the antennae they use to transmit, all machines and microphones and take them to our offices until they pay because the law gives us power. We do not need to go to court because our county laws are enough,” Ntoiti said.
There was an altercation between Ntoiti and Mwangaza on Friday when the board attempted to arrest Baicu.
Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi has backed the revenue board's efforts, advising the station's management to pay their taxes and stop politicising the process.
