At the start of the week, some Kenyans online took to X (Twitter) claiming that the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) had made it mandatory for Kenyans filing their taxes to first avail their phone numbers before being allowed to file their taxes. But is this true? Is KRA demanding for phone numbers?
Our news desk has established that claims that KRA is “demanding phone number verification for tax filing” are false and meant to mislead Kenyans. Our team has established that KRA uses OTPs (One-Time Passwords) as a standard data protection and user verification measure, and not to track or access personal financial records like M-Pesa or bank transactions, as is being claimed online.
We have further established that KRA had implemented email OTP about 5 years ago and mobile number verification last year and that this requirement is not something new and that it should not worry those filing their taxes.
Read Also: KRA’s Revenue Surpasses The Two Trillion Mark, Records 6.1% Growth
“Verifying a phone number helps prevent identity theft, not enable surveillance. It’s a global best practice to keep your data safe.
There is no new policy mandating phone number verification for filing returns. Once the mobile number is validated in the iTax profile, subsequent log ins including filing remains open to all registered taxpayers, as always,” said our source at KRA.
Should Kenyans be worried about their data?
So far, we can report that the requirement for the number is for the password verification, otherwise known as OTP, and has nothing to do with data collection. We have established that the number is not stored in the iTAX system, and one is required to enter the same number on his/her next visit.
Related Content: Police Ordered To Hunt, Arrest, And Present To Court A Suspect Who Has Been Using Fake KRA Stamps
