KRA chairman responds to M-Pesa account access concerns
By William Muthama, September 22, 2025Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Chairman Ndiritu Muriithi has addressed public concerns over whether the tax agency would gain access to Kenyans’ mobile and bank accounts, clarifying that the issue had been widely misunderstood.
Speaking during an interview on Monday, September 22, 2025, Muriithi emphasised that the KRA has no intention of accessing individual accounts directly.
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He explained that some of the confusion arose from earlier provisions in the Finance Bill that have since been removed.
“In M-Pesa, for example, when you pay for your lunch, the money goes where it should. What is meant for the restaurant goes to the restaurant, what is for the tourism fund goes there,” Muriithi said.
“I believe something was lost in translation, and some people understood it to mean that KRA would track all personal transactions. That is totally misunderstood.”
He added that the agency plans to communicate more clearly in the future to ensure Kenyans understand the proposed measures. “We will explain harder this time what we are trying to do, and we hope to persuade Kenyans to allow us to implement systems that make tax collection easier,” he said.
Muriithi also highlighted that expanding the tax base is essential for reducing the tax burden on those already paying.
“If everyone contributes, the amount that individuals and businesses like Mbuvi or Nderitu have to pay will decrease. That is what we really need, so the burden does not fall on a few who have a paycheck,” he explained.
He further stressed that the KRA is committed to protecting personal data while improving the efficiency of tax collection. The agency aims to make participation easier for more Kenyans, ultimately ensuring a fairer and more sustainable system.
The clarification comes after widespread concerns over the Finance Bill, 2024, which sought to exempt the KRA from the law prohibiting it from accessing taxpayers’ private data.
The Bill states that “the processing of personal data is exempt from the provisions of this Act if disclosure is necessary for the assessment, enforcement or collection of any tax or duty under a written tax law,” a provision that would have allowed KRA to compel banks and telcos to produce customer statements.