The Kenya Revenue Authority convened a stakeholder engagement in Machakos County, bringing together micro, small and medium enterprises, tax practitioners, county leaders and local business representatives to discuss tax administration issues.

Commissioner for Micro and Small Taxpayers George Obell said KRA is tightening scrutiny of businesses seeking VAT registration where suspicious activity is detected, aiming to curb fraudulent transactions that enable other taxpayers to unlawfully reduce their liabilities.

Under the revised approach, applications from businesses whose operations can be readily verified will be processed more quickly, while those raising concerns will undergo additional checks before approval.

KRA also announced a review of its VAT registration procedures after receiving consistent taxpayer feedback that the process was taking too long, with the authority seeking to address delays and improve service delivery.

The session was led by KRA Board chairman Ndiritu Muriithi alongside Commissioner Obell and formed part of a broader citizen assembly initiative aimed at simplifying compliance and reducing the cost of doing business with the tax authority.

KRA indicated that the dual approach – faster processing for verified firms and heightened checks for suspicious cases – reflects its effort to balance facilitation of legitimate businesses with enforcement against fraud.