New KRA chairman signals rebrand to usher in taxpayer-focused era

The newly sworn-in Chairperson of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Nderitu Muriithi, has pledged to spearhead the tax agency's transformation into a service-oriented organisation. 

Speaking at his inaugural address, Muriithi emphasised that the shift would extend beyond mere branding to encompass all administrative functions, processes, and conduct.

“We shall continue with the journey to transition KRA from an authority to a service-oriented organisation, not just in name but in all administrative functions, processes, procedures, and conduct,” said Muriithi. 

He reiterated the need to institutionalse a service culture across all KRA operations, making taxpayer engagement more efficient and user-friendly.

Technology and Customer-Centric Reforms

As part of the transformation, the Chairman outlined plans to leverage technology to streamline tax compliance processes. 

He promised to enhance KRA’s systems to make them more accessible and fit for purpose, enabling seamless interactions between the agency and taxpayers.

Further, we will leverage technology to a greater extent, to ensure that our systems are fit for purpose, user-friendly and easily accessible; in order to make it more convenient for all taxpayers to comply with their tax obligations.

Extended Tax Amnesty Program

Muriithi also highlighted the ongoing tax amnesty program as a key initiative under his leadership. 

The program, which began on December 27, 2024, and runs until June 30, 2024, waives penalties and interest for tax periods up to December 31, 2023.

 The amnesty program first rolled out in the previous financial year 2023/2024, saw a waiver of over Sh200 billion in penalties, and enabled the collection of Sh50.5 billion in taxes. I want to encourage all taxpayers, whether individual, businesses or corporates to take advantage of the amnesty at the earliest and enjoy the relief it brings with regards to taxation.

Partnerships to Drive Economic Growth

The new KRA Chairman also emphasized the importance of building strategic partnerships with stakeholders in the public and private sectors to create sector-specific programs that promote economic growth.

Muriithi affirmed his commitment to ensuring sound governance, accountability, and oversight in KRA’s operations.

He assured Kenyans that the tax agency would remain professional, ethical, and trustworthy in its dealings.