- This comes barely a day after Mutua came out guns blazing and accused the KRA officials of harassing tourists who visit the country at JKIA
- The CS through his X handle on Thursday said he had held a conversation with KRA Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga on the phone in the morning
Image: ALFRED MUTUA/ X
Tourism and Wildlife CS Alfred Mutua now seeks to hold a meeting with the Kenya Revenue Authority.
This comes barely a day after Mutua came out guns blazing and accused the KRA officials of harassing tourists who visit the country at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The CS through his X handle on Thursday said he had held a conversation with KRA Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga on the phone in the morning and had scheduled a meeting to discuss the way forward.
“I have this morning had a telephone conversation and scheduled a meeting with Humphrey Wattanga, the Commissioner General of Kenya Revenue Authority to discuss how we can work together to grow the tourism and travel industry. Mbele iko Sawa,” Mutua said.
In a video seen by the Star, the CS who was speaking during a stakeholder meeting at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) alleged that the reported harassment is the reason Kenya continues to drop from the list of top tourist destinations in Africa.
Mutua questioned why the harassment does not happen in other African countries when one visits as a tourist, yet they collect the same taxes KRA officials claim to be after.
"We harass our visitors when they come to this country and then we wonder why they don't come back. You go to Rwanda they don't harass you, kwani Rwanda don't collect taxes? You go to South Africa they don't collect taxes?" Mutua lamented.
KRA acting Deputy Commissioner, Policy and International Affairs, David Ontweka, in a clarification on the matter on Wednesday said they will only tax goods purchased outside the country.
"I have seen something which is coming out as if we are taxing everything that you are coming with," Ontweka said on Citizen TV.
He went on to clarify that such goods can only be taxed if their value exceeds $500 (Sh75,500) and if they are more than one item and valued at $500.
Taxation of personal goods at points of entry into Kenya has upset a section of the public after KRA strictly started enforcing the customs regulations.
According to KKRA, individuals are allowed to carry personal or household items worth $500 (Sh75,380 at current exchange rate) and below.