This archive report was first published on 19 October 2019.
Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge has been hit with a Ksh 125 million tax bill by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). The demand comes after Kipchoge broke his own record in Vienna, covering 42Km in under two hours.
According to KRA officials, the tax payment is an obligation to all Kenyans, and the miraculous achievement is not exempted from taxation. The officials stated that they have several avenues to ensure the amount is remitted successfully, should Kipchoge be defiant.
However, Kipchoge has declined an invitation to the KRA offices, and a number of Kenyans have taken to the media to criticize the KRA officials of malice, hypocrisy, and witch-hunt. Some have expressed disappointment in KRA, accusing officials of being on a looting spree and targeting those with wealth.
KRA has rubbished claims that there was something personal with the high figure, saying every Kenyan is expected to be tax compliant. The officials explained that given the amount of money Kipchoge had received, statistics clearly spelt out the amount required of him to pay.
