President William Ruto ordered Kenyan Revenue Authority (KRA) to double its revenue collection.
Speaking at KICC on October 28, the head of state urged KRA to raise at least Ksh3 trillion by the end of the 2022/2023 financial year and to double the current collection in five years.
Ruto stated that there was a need for KRA to continuously engage with stakeholders to make tax collection conducive to every player.
The president expressed dismay at Tanzania and Uganda collecting more revenue than Kenya.
He argued that Kenya should surpass the two countries' economies were smaller.
“We are selling 2.9 billion stamps for excisable products while our neighbour Tanzania is selling 7.2 billion stamps and Uganda 9 billion stamps," Ruto stated as KRA celebrated Taxpayers Day.
He thus tasked KRA to sell between 10 billion and 12 billion stamps annually.
KRA had set its revenue target for the financial year 2021/2022 at Kshs 1.882 trillion.
The authority's commissioner general, Githii Mburu, in his speech, celebrated taxpayers from various sectors of the economy who were honoured for their resilience and payment of taxes that saw KRA meets its targets.
Safaricom PLC won the top taxpayer award, with Kenya Breweries and KCB Bank coming second and third respectively.
"On behalf of the Board Management & KRA staff, we commit that we shall do our best towards optimizing revenue mobilization & trade facilitation.
"We will ensure we carry our stakeholders & taxpayers together in this journey," Mburu pledged.