This archive report was first published on 14 October 2019.
Published on October 14, 2019, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has begun monitoring bank accounts to identify tax cheats, a move that has raised eyebrows over potential privacy breaches.
According to reports, the taxman is tracking the cash flow of bank accounts against the tax remitted, with bankers denying sharing clients' data without court orders. However, lawyers claim this is the only way KRA can obtain the necessary details.
KRA has insisted that it has the right to acquire the required data, citing the Tax Procedures Act, which compels third parties to share information with the taxman.
Commissioner for Domestic Taxes Elizabeth Meyo has assured that the data obtained is treated with strict confidentiality and only used for the purpose it was sought.
As a result of this operation, KRA has identified individuals and companies owing an estimated Sh250 billion, leading to the freezing of bank accounts and orders to remit tax directly to the authority.
With KRA racing against time to meet its revenue collection target, this development has significant implications for the taxman's efforts.
