NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga was on Friday put on the defensive over the agency’s support for a contentious clause in the Finance Bill 2025 that would grant the taxman automatic access to the personal data and trade secrets of Kenyan citizens.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Finance Committee, Wattanga faced tough questions over both the proposed legislative changes and existing concerns about the security of taxpayers’ information on KRA’s iTax platform.
“Chair, don’t you think that is a huge data privacy breach? Someone is clearly not doing their job. You have to own up that this is a breach,” said Finance Committee chair Kuria Kimani, referring to allegations that KRA systems expose sensitive user information.
With just a taxpayer’s Personal Identification Number (PIN), users of the iTax system can reportedly access contact details, email addresses, physical residence, and even employment information—a vulnerability that has alarmed data privacy advocates and triggered scrutiny over KRA’s data handling policies.
At least ten entities, including the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), have voiced their opposition to the proposed Finance Bill provision.
Critics argue the clause, if passed, would hand the tax authority unchecked access to private information, raising the risk of abuse and violating constitutional protections around data privacy.
Kimani further questioned why the KRA requires extensive personal information—such as residential addresses and phone numbers—for processes like manufacturer authorisation.
“Why is KRA infringing on data privacy?” he posed.
Wattanga admitted the concerns were “serious” and promised to address them, but defended the agency’s position, saying the clause would help improve tax compliance and support the government’s ambitious revenue targets.
“We admit that’s a serious matter and we will address it,” said Wattanga. “The aim of the provision is to enhance compliance and ensure efficient tax collection.”
KRA has set a revenue target of Ksh2.9 trillion for the 2025/26 financial year and argues that stronger data access mechanisms will help plug tax leakages and identify non-compliant entities.
Wattanga also pushed back against claims that foreign companies are fleeing Kenya due to a harsh tax regime, maintaining that the country continues to offer competitive incentives to support business growth.
Despite these reassurances, the debate around privacy, transparency, and oversight is expected to intensify as the Finance Bill heads for parliamentary debate, with civil society groups vowing to mount legal and public campaigns against what they term as “surveillance overreach.”
