A Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officer has been charged before the Anti-Corruption Court in Kisumu with allegedly soliciting and receiving a bribe amounting to Sh500,000 to manipulate a tax audit report.
Evans Agumba Oriato, a Customer Care Officer attached to the KRA Kisumu office, appeared before the court facing three counts of receiving a bribe contrary to the Bribery Act.
According to the charge sheet filed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) through the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Oriato is alleged to have requested a bribe from Teresia Akinyi Wasonga.
“On the 31 December 2021 at Kisumu Town, within Kisumu County, being a person employed by a public body, to wit Kenya Revenue Authority, as Customer Care Officer, attached to KRA, requested for a financial advantage of Sh500,000 from Teresia Akinyi Wasonga, with intent, that in consequence you will accept and reconcile audit report with regard to tax arrears for Jane Adeny Memorial School,” the charge sheet reads.
In the second and third counts, Oriato is facing charges of agreeing to receive and subsequently receiving a financial advantage of Sh250,000 from Wasonga on January 13, 2022, at Kisumu Town.
The prosecution alleges that the bribe was intended to facilitate the alteration and reconciliation of the said audit report to reduce or clear the school’s tax arrears.
The charge sheet indicates that the case was investigated by the EACC and later approved for prosecution by the ODPP on November 13, 2025.
Upon his arraignment, Oriato denied the three counts and was released on a Sh500,000 bond with a surety of a similar amount.
According to the charge sheet, the prosecution will rely on testimony from Teresia Akinyi Wasonga, who is listed as the first witness, alongside other witnesses expected to be stated.
Chief Magistrate Benson Ireri scheduled the matter for November 25, 2025, for pretrial directions.
The move comes amid an ongoing crackdown by government agencies.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is mandated under Article 79 of the Constitution and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2011, to combat and prevent corruption in Kenya.
Its key functions include investigating corruption and economic crimes, enforcing leadership and integrity laws, tracing and recovering corruptly acquired assets, and promoting ethical standards within public institutions.
The commission also provides preventive measures such as public education, systems audits, and policy advisories to curb corruption before it occurs.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), established under the Kenya Revenue Authority Act, is responsible for assessing, collecting, and accounting for all revenues due to the government.
Beyond its core revenue functions, KRA also enforces tax compliance, investigates tax evasion and fraud, and ensures adherence to tax laws and regulations.
The authority plays a
critical role in maintaining fiscal discipline by sealing loopholes that enable
corruption and loss of public funds.
