David Mugonyi, the Director General of the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA), has released a clarification in response to the concerns that Kenyans have expressed over the new tax compliance system that is in the process of being implemented on mobile phones.
Mugonyi admitted that Kenyans have voiced worries about the protection of their data as he was speaking at a meeting with members of parliament on Wednesday, November 10.
The head of the CA has said that the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) would not have access to the data and transactions that are complete on people’s mobile devices.
“There is no connection between this employment and any phone transactions.
“We aim to ensure the availability of the necessary items in the country, and the tax compliance component serves only that purpose.”
To be clear, he stated that KRA will not have access to any individual’s data.
The government authorities made it clear that the system would only enable the tax collector to ensure the payment of all taxes relevant to the devices.
Mr. Mugonyi pointed out that the system aims to notify consumers who activate a new device without having paid the applicable taxes.
A portion of the statement issued by Parliament read as follows: “The unregistered device’s IMEI will then be put on a blacklist, which will prohibit it from connecting to any local network until taxes are cleared.”
However, he stated that the latest regulation would not affect most Kenyans’ gadgets.
Beginning on November 1, 2024, the new system will only affect mobile phones connected to local networks.
