Tax collectors to wear body cameras to prevent them from asking for bribes

The tax body seeks to dive head first in the war against graft in a bid to head off the same.

KRA’s body camera’s will be used mainly by staff in the domestic tax department as well as customs and border control, according to a statement released by the tax body.

This measure comes in light of several KRA staff being accused of using their positions for personal gain through the amassing of properties along with living lifestyles that are not consistent with their pay.

“Very soon we will also be ensuring our enforcement officers have body-worn cameras, like the ones you see in the US, so that any action they take is recorded and we can see it. When you put it off, we will also have to understand why you do it,” KRA Commissioner General Githii Mburu is quoted as saying.

This is not the first time the tax body has come up with innovative measures to curb graft, last year the tax authority announced it was viewing the social media profiles of individuals under the spotlight of investigation to reconcile their lifestyles with their tax compliance.

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) was established by an Act of Parliament, Chapter 469 of the laws of Kenya, which became effective on 1 July 1995. The Authority is charged with collecting revenue on behalf of the Government of Kenya.

KRA reported revenue collection of 11.211 billion USD in Mar 2022. This records an increase from the previous figure of 9.899 billion USD Feb 2022. Kenya Tax Revenue data is updated monthly, averaging 2.854 billion USD from Sep 1999 to Mar 2022, with 265 observations.