KRA: Collecting taxes from 'hustlers' is no mean feat

Kenya Revenue Authority revenue service assistants Kelvin Kelengoi and Samuel Mturi review taxpayer details during a recent field visit. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard]

The government has disclosed its helplessness in collecting taxes from the informal economy, which comprises small traders, small shops, and other businesses that have long evaded the taxman's net.

The rare but candid admission underlines the revenue-raising challenges facing the cash-strapped Kenya Kwanza government, which is relying on a series of fresh levies and revenue modifications aimed at the sector in a bid to increase its tax earnings twofold.