Azimio Wants KRA Investigated As Government Is Affected by Salary Delays

Following delays by the government in paying employees, the opposition has demanded an investigation of the Kenya Revenue Authority.

Opiyo Wandayi, the minority leader in the National Assembly, said the investigation should cover staff members and computer systems at the National Treasury and Central Bank of Kenya in order to determine what went wrong.

In addition to investigating government spending, he said, “We need to take a close and in-depth look at the goings-on at revenue collection points and revenue sources like Kenya Airports Authority, the courts, customs, National Social Security Fund (NSSF), aids and grants, and revenue administration.”

In a statement, Wandayi said it would not be proper to allow the administration to place the responsibility for the predicament on Covid-19, the conflict in Ukraine, and the wider global economic collapse.

He asked, “Where are the tax revenues and savings from eliminated subsidies going?”

How is it possible that after eliminating subsidies, raising taxes, and taking on more debt, our financial condition only became worse? According to Wandayi, Azimio thinks that important revenue collecting stations have experienced cash flow issues as a result of corruption, nepotism, tribalism, ineptitude, and outright theft.

“The obvious conclusion is that the thieves at KRA are collecting and pocketing taxes, while the inepts at National Treasury skim off the revenue while failing to develop good strategies for cash flow,” he said.

He claimed that for the first time since Kenya gained its independence in 1963, the country’s government is unable to pay civil officials’ and lawmakers’ wages.

“Almost all civil servants are unsure of when or even if they will ever receive payment. Since December of last year, the situation has been steadily getting worse, he said.

Only the police and military, according to Wandayi, have received pay.

But if we keep going in this direction, he continued, “it won’t be long until members of the disciplined forces also start missing salaries.” The Minority Leader continued by saying that a probe into the nation’s looming financial and economic disaster was required by Parliament. The government’s inability to fulfill one of its most fundamental tasks, namely paying its employees, has Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party extremely concerned, according to Wandayi.

He emphasized that the National Treasury has not been providing counties with money for at least four months.

He claimed that “both the national and local governments are having trouble paying employees and service delivery is being jeopardized with each passing month.”

Wandayi issued a warning that soon even parastatals will be unable to function.

He continued by saying that the counties are asking for Sh92.5 billion, which is their fair share for the months of January, February, and March 2023, while the government owes state agencies Sh204 billion.