Kenya’s digital content creators are facing a new regulatory as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) begins to enforce a new mandatory tax on those who earn money through YouTube.
Under the new rules, YouTubers will pay 5% as tax withholding, taking effect September 2026, while non-residents will pay a 20%.
Google AdSense will deduct the tax from finalized monthly payouts to Kenyan creators, marking the first direct taxation of the country’s growing online creator economy. Creators will submit their KRA Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) through AdSense by October 1, 2026.
“Each month, Google will withhold a 5% Kenya tax on finalized YouTube earnings along with any applicable U.S. taxes,” the company said.
Failure to comply will result in withheld payments, with earnings accumulating in AdSense accounts until valid PINs are provided.
For creators, the deduction will be immediate and visible. For example, a YouTuber earning Ksh 100,000 in finalized revenue will have Ksh 5,000 withheld as tax, leaving Ksh 95,000 will be subject to any applicable deductions including U.S. tax obligations under Google’s global policies.
However, the company stated that the payments can be stopped until required tax information is submitted and verified.
Submission of the information can be done through the tax information section of their AdSense for YouTube accounts.
The announcement comes after Kenyan YouTubers began to share screenshots of the notification received from Google, which were shared by poet and activist Willie Oeba expressed the concern about the impact of the new requirement.
Google stated that the information is required to comply with Kenya’s tax laws.
