The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has moved to calm fears following claims that it had already introduced an artificial intelligence system to crack down on tax evasion.
Many taxpayers, including business owners and employees, had been worried that the new system would be snooping into their earnings.
However, the taxman was quick to point out that the system was not yet live and that people should only be getting their information from their official sources.
In an interview the KRA stated that it had not made any announcement regarding the new system and cautioned people against taking unverified news as fact.
“We haven’t received that message yet, so I’m not sure where that information is coming from. That hasn’t been issued by KRA. For now, don’t treat it as official until it comes from our office,” the authority stated.
The source of the confusion had been claims that the KRA had introduced an Intelligence Analysis Tool (IAT) to sift through vast amounts of financial data to identify possible cases of tax evasion.
The system would be created by compiling government records with financial records to enable the KRA to identify possible cases of tax evasion in different fields.
Earlier on, however, KRA had indicated that the implementation of artificial intelligence in tax administration was still part of its broader modernization strategy.
Earlier in November 2025, then-Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga indicated that the agency sought to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) into its processes to enhance tax collection and identify patterns of tax evasion.
The system was intended to analyze data from various government agencies, including the Business Registration Service (BRS).
According to KRA, the implementation of this system is expected to be done in phases, starting January 1, 2026, when it is expected to introduce an automated system for validating tax returns filed in 2025.
The implementation of this system is also expected to be expanded in June 2026, when AI-powered scanners are also expected to be introduced in ports of entry to monitor cargo coming into the country.
The implementation of this system is also expected to be expanded gradually in various sectors starting late 2026 into early 2027.
The authority also indicated that despite these developments, no official rollout of this system has been announced.
According to KRA, any major announcements regarding this system are expected to be communicated to the public through its official channels once the system is ready.
