Top officers at Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) are having sleepless nights after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) started grilling them over increased tax evasion.
The anti-fraud detectives have camped at the tax collectors' offices seeking answers to the tax evasion menace.
“Once investigations are complete, you will see KRA officials in court, not just small level, but high level, including commissioners,” said DPP Noordin Haji.
The new KRA commissioner-general James Githii Mburu is among those leading the investigations. He took over from John Njiraini and is determined to end tax evasion allegedly masterminded by some KRA officials and corrupt business persons.
The onslaught has seen 90 officers interrogated. Among them are 10 top officials from which the detectives want to solve the puzzle that has led to the loss of billions.
According to the DCI, Kenya has had Sh250 billion in taxes directed to individual pockets in a cartel-like scheme that they believe involves KRA officials.
The probe is part of President Uhuru Kenyatta's initiative to deal with corruption. Speaking during the flagging off of Kenya’s first shipment of crude oil at the Kipevu Oil Terminal in Mombasa, Uhuru said he will not support any official nabbed in the graft war.
“These guys have decided it’s do or die. When they catch up with you, just know I don’t give instructions to them. It is you who has been caught on the wrong. We will only read it on the newspapers that you have been nabbed. So wherever you are, keep your eyes open and be very careful with what you do,” said President Kenyatta.