Remarks · 19 November 2025
Esteemed taxpayers, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Tonight, we celebrate you, the architects of our Republic. We honour you and the millions of Kenyans whose diligence and patriotism build this nation, shilling by shilling, day by day.
Your contribution keeps our children in school, our hospitals open, our roads connected, and our institutions stable. You are the backbone of our Republic.
As the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) marks 30 years of service, the last three decades tell a remarkable story of Kenya’s transformation, a story of enterprise and resilience, of innovation and opportunity, and of a nation shaping its destiny through hard work and unity of purpose.
In this journey, KRA has been both a driver and a mirror of our progress. From a modest revenue office, it has grown into a cornerstone of our economic sovereignty. In 1995, Kenya collected KSh122 billion in revenue. This past financial year, we surpassed KSh2.57 trillion, a 21-fold increase that has built our schools and hospitals, powered our infrastructure, and strengthened our sovereignty. We are steadily on track to hit the KSh3 trillion mark this financial year.
Just a year ago, at this very event, we launched KRA’s 9th Corporate Plan alongside the government’s Enterprise API Platform, now known nationwide as GavaConnect. Today, more than 1,000 Kenyan developers are actively building solutions on GavaConnect APIs, making Kenya one of the first countries on the continent to deploy a government-wide API ecosystem.
By integrating KRA services into e-Citizen, we have reduced compliance time for individuals and MSMEs by over 40%, freeing entrepreneurs to build businesses, create jobs, and grow our economy. This is more than technology; it is the transformation of a government that listens, responds, and serves.
Kenya is also among the earliest countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to begin integrating AI-powered risk engines into tax compliance, placing us firmly at the frontier of modern public administration. By piloting these engines and re-engineering our processes, the Customs Department recently recorded its highest-ever monthly customs revenue, reaching KSh85 billion last month. Domestic VAT collections have also strengthened, rising from KSh20 billion a month in the 2021/22 financial year to KSh28 billion today.
These efforts affirm a shared conviction that technology is not merely a tool of efficiency, but the heartbeat of a government that is transparent, responsive, and accessible to every Kenyan.
Ladies and gentlemen, Kenya’s economy continues to navigate global headwinds, including shifting trade patterns, fiscal constraints, and the impacts of climate change. Yet we remain steadfast in our pursuit of inclusive and sustainable growth, as demonstrated by a 9.1% revenue increase in the second half of the last fiscal year despite these challenges.
Accordingly, every shilling collected must deliver visible results. Every taxpayer must see value for their contribution. And every public institution must operate with transparency and integrity.
This is why the government is implementing fiscal reforms to seal leakages, rationalise expenditure, and direct resources towards programmes that deliver the highest social and economic returns.
At the heart of these reforms is fairness in taxation and public spending. Nation-building is a collective effort that calls for participation, contribution, and shared responsibility. Paying taxes is not merely a legal obligation; it is an act of patriotism and solidarity, a collective commitment to the Kenya we all aspire to build.
As we advance our agenda of economic renewal, we remain committed to empowering micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the informal sector and, above all, our youth - the heartbeat of our future.
MSMEs now contribute 33% of Kenya’s GDP and employ close to 15 million people, translating to 86% of our workforce, yet they account for just 1% of tax revenue. This imbalance is not a burden; it is an opportunity, and we are seizing it.
KRA has established the Micro & Small Taxpayers Department dedicated exclusively to individuals and MSMEs. This new unit is focused on serving the 1.2 million MSMEs currently in the tax base and facilitating the onboarding of over 5 million more, delivering simpler processes, personalised support, and a fairer and more accessible tax experience. While 3 million Kenyans in formal employment contribute KSh600 billion in taxes annually, the remaining 17 million registered taxpayers contribute only KSh17 billion. This new department will help expand our tax base, ensuring everyone shares the responsibility of nation-building.
Additionally, KRA has rolled out the electronic rental income tax system, which aims to collect KSh80 billion annually, up from the current KSh14 billion. To further simplify compliance, KRA services are now available on WhatsApp and USSD, making it easier than ever for every Kenyan to fulfil their civic duty.
Today, as we recognise our top taxpayers, we celebrate the spirit of partnership that drives our nation forward.
To every individual and institution represented here, I extend the government’s deepest gratitude. Your compliance enables us to meet national obligations and secure a better future for generations to come.
Let this day remind us that nation-building depends on a simple partnership - citizens who contribute and institutions that serve with integrity.
To KRA, keep pushing forward. Innovate, simplify, build trust, and serve every taxpayer with efficiency and respect. We will back you with the policies and resources needed to expand the tax base and strengthen voluntary compliance.
Ladies and gentlemen, our success is measured not by revenue targets but by transformed lives. Every shilling must create opportunity - a job for a young person, markets for a farmer, growth for a business, and better healthcare and education for every community.
As we mark 30 years of KRA and 20 years of Taxpayers’ Day, let us commit to a Kenya where fairness, integrity, and responsibility define us, and where every contribution counts. Together, let us build a culture of integrity that strengthens our development and fuels our national confidence in a Kenya that works for all. I thank you.