President William Ruto has praised Kenyan taxpayers as the “architects of our Republic,” crediting them for sustaining essential public services and driving national development.
Speaking during the KRA@30 celebrations and the 20th anniversary of Taxpayers Day on 19 November 2025, the President emphasized the central role of citizens in building the country’s economic foundation.
“Your diligence and patriotism build this nation shilling by shilling, day by day,” he said. “Your contribution keeps our children in school, our hospitals open, our roads connected and our institutions stable.”
Ruto highlighted Kenya’s remarkable tax growth over the past three decades, noting that revenue collection has risen from KSh122 billion in 1995 to KSh2.57 trillion last year.
He added that the country is “steadily on track to hit the 3 trillion mark” this financial year.
A significant part of the President’s address focused on digital transformation within the tax system. He cited the integration of KRA services into eCitizen, which has reduced compliance time for individuals and SMEs by more than 40%.
Kenya is also among the first in Sub-Saharan Africa to pilot AI-powered risk engines for tax compliance.
“These engines have placed us at the frontier of modern public administration,” he noted, revealing that Customs recently recorded its highest-ever monthly revenue at KSh85 billion.
Ruto also underscored the need for fairness in taxation, especially among MSMEs, which contribute 33% of the GDP yet account for just 1% of tax revenue. To bridge this gap, he urged KRA to innovate, simplify processes and build trust.
“Our success is measured not by revenue targets but by transformed lives,” he said. “Every shilling must create opportunity, a job for a young person, markets for a farmer and better healthcare for every citizen.”
He assured Kenyans that new systems will ensure everyone can pay taxes “with a lot of respect.”
“I am I formed by the KRA that even the people who don’t pay taxes, it is not their wish not to pay, it is just that we haven’t provided the right systems for them to be able to pay, and I think that is what we’re putting in place , and therefore we’re going to help everybody to pay and we will do it with a lot of respect” President William Ruto concluded.
By Elizabeth Simiyu
