This archive report was first published on 22 August 2019.
Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has been making headlines with its crackdown on tax evaders, and at the helm of this operation is a man with a reputation for being tough on cartels: James Githii Mburu.
Appointed as the new Commissioner General on July 1, 2019, Mburu has been leading the charge against tax evasion, with a focus on high-profile individuals and companies.
According to KRA, the operation is aimed at ensuring tax compliance by all Kenyans, and those who have 'deliberately chosen to evade taxes' will be pursued through various practices, including failure to disclose income, mis-statement of expenses, and concealment of goods.
High-profile targets include Keroche Breweries CEO Tabitha Karanja and her husband Joseph Karanja, who are accused of evading taxes amounting to Sh14.4 billion, and Nairobi billionaire businessman Humphrey Kariuki, who has been charged with evasion of taxes totaling Ksh.41 billion.
KRA has also set up mechanisms for identifying and investigating officers who aid tax evasion, assuring that those found culpable will be prosecuted jointly with the taxpayers they have aided.
But what's behind KRA's new aggressive approach? It's thanks to Mburu's leadership, who has developed a formidable intelligence gathering infrastructure during his tenure as KRA's chief of intelligence, which started in March 2017.
Under his watch, high-profile tax evasion attempts have been blown up, including the abortive attempt by Darasa Investments Limited in 2017, which would have resulted in taxes in excess of three billion shillings being lost through irregular duty-free sugar importation.
Some of the prominent personalities who have ended up on Mburu's radar include former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and his advocate Professor Tom Ojienda, both of whom are fighting multi-million tax evasion cases.
As KRA continues to crack down on tax evaders, one thing is clear: James Githii Mburu is a man to watch.
