The Kenya Revenue (KRA) says it has fired additional 19 of its staff members for participating in corrupt activities in the second half of the year to December 2024.
This is more than double the number of staff who were sacked over the same period previous year when 9 employees were let go by the authority.
In the quarter under review, the number of staff cleared of charges or allegations dropped from 23 in the last financial year to 8.
Speaking during a meeting with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission chief executive Abdi Mohamud, KRA Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga said the two bodies will enhance their cooperation to improve intelligence sharing, conduct joint investigations, and develop complementary strategies to effectively tackle the challenges posed by corruption, tax fraud, and evasion.
“We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to those who abuse our systems. Our collaboration with EACC is not just strategic; it is a moral imperative. We will establish a robust framework that not only deters tax evasion but also imposes strict penalties on those who facilitate such evasion, ensuring accountability for their actions,” said Wattanga.
During the second quarter, staff warnings declined sharply to 2 from 15 while stern warnings rose to
7 cases, up from 2, demonstrating KRA’s zero-tolerance policy towards corruption.
KRA says reported cases during the period include dishonesty, lack of integrity, fraud, negligence of duty, absenteeism, conflict of interest, impersonation, and other ethical breaches.
“This collaboration is crucial in expanding our efforts to eradicate corruption and uphold the rule of law. Together, we can foster an environment that discourages corrupt practices, tax evasion, and promotes ethical business conduct,” added Mohamud.
During the period under review, KRA received 246 corruption reports through its web-based anonymous corruption and tax evasion reporting platform, iWhistle, with tax estimates totaling Ksh 4.39 billion.
