NAIROBI, Kenya – Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has moved to allay fears over the Kenya Revenue Authority’s (KRA) controversial bid to access citizens’ financial records, saying the tax agency is not interested in personal or private data but is focused solely on verifying tax compliance.
Speaking during a public engagement on Monday night, June 9, Mbadi dismissed claims that KRA is seeking to spy on Kenyans, instead clarifying that the agency’s interest lies in financial information from formal institutions—such as banks—to assess the accuracy of self-filed tax returns.
“KRA’s interest lies only in financial data, not your secrets,” Mbadi said. “And where they’re sourcing this data from—there is no secret—it’s from banks and financial institutions.”
The remarks come amid rising public backlash and legal scrutiny over KRA’s expanded powers under Clause 52 of the proposed Finance Bill, which seeks to amend the Tax Procedures Act to give the tax authority broader access to taxpayer data.
Critics have warned that the move could erode constitutional privacy protections and expose citizens to potential data misuse.
Mbadi, however, sought to reassure the public that safeguards remain in place under the Data Protection Act, which, he emphasized, still governs how personal information is accessed and used.
“No one will come for your personal information,” he said. “The Data Protection Act is still in place.”
The CS argued that without access to third-party financial data, KRA is unable to independently verify tax declarations filed through the self-assessment system.
He blamed Parliament for muddying the waters, pointing to legislative amendments that introduced language around “personal data and trade secrets,” which he said sparked unnecessary alarm.
“Every year, we do self-assessment returns. How does KRA determine that what you’ve assessed is correct?” Mbadi posed. “Initially, the law was clear—KRA could obtain your financial information and assess whether you were paying correctly.”
The debate reached Parliament on Saturday, June 7, when members of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning grilled KRA Deputy Commissioner Maurice Oray over the implications of Clause 52.
Turkana South MP John Ariko raised concerns that the provision could breach Article 31 of the Constitution, which guarantees every Kenyan the right to privacy.
“While it is important to enhance tax compliance, this provision would breach Article 31… and could be open to abuse,” Ariko warned.
