A KRA employee in
Mombasa receives a gift from KRA commissioner Nancy Ng'etich /CHARLES MGHENYISome 508,413 taxpayers have been onboarded onto the Electronic Tax Invoice Management System, the Kenya Revenue Authority has announced.
The latest data as of September 30, 2025, marks a major milestone in KRA’s digital transformation and customer service agenda.
Speaking during the official launch of the 2025 Customer Service Week celebrations in Mombasa, KRA Commissioner for Shared Services Nancy Ngetich said the achievement reflects the authority’s growing success in simplifying tax compliance through innovation and inclusion.
KRA targets to onboard one million taxpayers onto eTIMS by the end of the 2025-2026 financial year, a goal Ngetich said is well within reach.
“At KRA, we believe that taxation goes beyond tax collection to connection with taxpayers. It is about building trust, fostering compliance, and creating a system where taxpayers feel valued, respected, and supported.”
Ngetich highlighted eTIMS as one of the KRA’s most transformative initiatives, noting its accessibility through a USSD code and the eCitizen portal.
These simplified options have particularly benefited small businesses and informal traders who previously struggled with compliance due to limited access to digital tools, she said.
In the Southern Region (Coast), eTIMS uptake currently stands at 38 per cent, with 22,005 taxpayers onboarded against a target of 58,045.
Ngetich called for renewed efforts to increase adoption, emphasising that KRA officers in the region will continue to offer hands-on support to taxpayers.
She also reported notable growth in domestic VAT collections through eTIMS, which rose to Sh327.336 billion in the last financial year.
The second half of the year recorded Sh178.962 billion, up from Sh148.374 billion in the first half, an increase of Sh30.588 billion.
The surge, she explained, was largely driven by the rollout of the auto-populated VAT return and other digital compliance tools under eTIMS.
“These initiatives have improved taxpayer compliance and enhanced revenue collection efficiency. We are seeing the benefits of intelligent, technology-driven service delivery,” she noted.
Hakamba Wangwe, KRA chief manager in charge of eTIMS implementation, said the system has so far attracted over 508,000 active users since its rollout in February 2023.
This includes 162,000 VAT-registered taxpayers who now file their returns through the automated VAT return platform, she said.
“Our goal is to make tax compliance simple, accessible, and intelligent. eTIMS enables taxpayers to generate and transmit invoices to KRA in real time, supporting accurate record keeping and transparency,” Wangwe explained.
Initially, eTIMS focused on VAT-registered taxpayers through client-based software, online portals, and mobile apps.
However, feedback from users revealed a need to cater to Kenya’s informal sector, which faces challenges related to digital access and literacy.
“We realised that a large proportion of our taxpayers operate informally, with limited access to advanced digital tools. This led us to design simplified, inclusive solutions such as the USSD service and the eCitizen integration, which allow even those with basic phones to comply easily,” Wangwe said.
The USSD solution has become a lifeline for small-scale traders who can now generate eTIMS invoices without smartphones or expensive gadgets.
KRA has also introduced the reverse invoicing feature, allowing buyers to raise invoices on behalf of small suppliers who may lack digital access, ensuring business continuity for all.
“We want to support everyone in the value chain, from manufacturers and wholesalers to mama mbogas. No one should be locked out of doing business because of technology,” Wangwe said.
To enhance adoption, KRA is strengthening its presence at the grassroots through outreach programs, partnerships with banks and digital service providers, and targeted taxpayer education.
Some banks have already integrated eTIMS into their payment platforms, allowing users to raise invoices directly within mobile banking apps, said Wangwe.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
KRA’s announcement that over half a million taxpayers have joined the Electronic Tax Invoice Management System underscores Kenya’s accelerating shift toward digital tax administration. The milestone demonstrates the authority’s growing success in simplifying compliance through inclusive technology, particularly benefiting informal traders via USSD and eCitizen options.
