Kenya Revenue Authority has intensified its drive against tax evasion by going for those in power.
The authority has faced a lasting shortfall in collections and are under pressure from the government to pay its rising debts to external creditors, major projects and other obligations such as salaries.
The following are the people being pursued by the tax authority:
Duncan Murashiki (as Oil Libya General Manager) Ksh 15 Billion
Murashiki and KRA are at war over claims that he gave inconclusive information that made it difficult for the authority to determine Oil Libya’s true tax liability.
Ibrahim Hillowly (Darasa Investments) Ksh 2.5 Billion
The firm had agreed to pay the Ksh2.5 billion demanded by the tax authority after the release of the 40,000 tonnes of sugar the firm claimed to have imported from Brazil in line with regulations from the National Treasury during a duty free window.
KRA however argued that Darasa changed the original documents and that the sugar was from Dubai instead.
Prof Tom Ojienda Ksh 822 million
The lawyer succesfully sued KRA after they demanded the sum of money for the years 2009 to 2016.
The court through Justice George Odunga ruled that the tax authority might have relied on information from third parties without undertaking its own investigations into the matter.
Jimmy Mutuku Kiamba Ksh 480 Million
KRA sought Kiamba after the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission began investigating him.
Investigations by the anti corruption commission revealed that Kiamba had two bank accounts at Stanbic which amounted to Ksh 480 million.
Another 9 bank accounts that the former Nairobi finance chief used were uncovered frozen by the commission after obtaining a court order.
Westgate Mall Ksh 221 Million
The tax authority went after the mall following its Ksh 7.2 billion insurance compensation for the 2013 terror attack at the establishment.
Evans Kidero (as Nairobi Governor) Ksh 4.2 Billion
KRA accused Kidero of failing to pay withholding tax after promising to do so during his time as Nairobi Governor.
Kidero’s administration insisted that the money should be taken from national government who owed them money.
Mastermind Tobacco(Wilfred Murungi) Ksh 1 billion
Auctioneers were instructed in September to sell the firm’s assets in order to recover the amount owed to the tax authority which forced the Murungi owned company to go to court.
The unpaid taxes demanded by the tax man are excise duty, VAT, PAYE and penalties.
Kamlesh Pattni (Two Firms Associated to Him)
The tax man went after the Diplomatic Duty free firm but instead the auctioneers pursued assets belonging to Suzan General’s stores which sued the authority claiming their fight was with Diplomatic Duty free.
Alnashir Popat (Sandview and Upperview Properties Shareholder) Ksh 13 million
The Upperview Properties which are owned by the collapsed Imperial Bank, are on KRA’s radar for for failure to pay Ksh 13 million in tax.
The company stated that they could not challenge the demand considering their documents are yet to be released by Kenya Deposit Insurance who seized them.
Njenga Karume Assests Ksh 197 Million
Karume’s kin are facing criminal charges over failure to pay tax worth Ksh 197 million in form of PAYE and VAT for Jacaranda Hotel.
The family members are Alfred Kigera Karume, Jane Grace Njoki Njenga and his Trust chairman Kungu Gatabaki.
KRA staff Joseph Chege Gikonyo
Gikonyo was on the authorities radar after he acquired Ksh 615 million from a monthly salary of Ksh 119, 000.
On October 2016, KRA accused him of failure to pay for taxes leading to investigations of how he acquired the wealth.
The KRA staff member however insisted that he acquired his wealth legally.
Ex Foton East Africa Agent Da Li Ksh 223 Million
Da Li was blocked from leaving the country by KRA and Immigration Service over tax evasion.
The former agent had agreed to meet representatives from the tax authority in 2016 over settlement of the matter after being issued with a demand, but went missing for a year.
I&M Bank Ksh 225 Million
KRA pursued the bank after the high court ruled in December that the lender owed Ksh 225 million in VAT, corporate and withholding tax.
The bank on its part argued that no action was taken by the tax authority after it objected the ruling.
The tax man however argued that they could not challenge the bank after it received a letter with an open ended question on the levies from I&M.
Barclays Bank Ksh 225 Million
The bank was demanded by the tax authority to pay the amount in withholding tax arrears on royalties paid to card companies.
Barclays however moved to court in April and managed to block the demand.
Estate of Gerishon Kirima Ksh 380 Million
Estate owned by the late billionaire was accused of owing tax arrears worth Ksh 638 million that was later lowered to Ksh 374.6 million by KRA.
Report from the Auditor General however stated that there was no evidence to support the drop made by the tax authority.
