Tourism CS Accuses KRA of Harassing Tourists, Vows to Fix It

Tourism and Wildlife CS Alfred Mutua has accused Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officials of harassing tourists at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). Mutua claims that this harassment is one of the reasons why Kenya is dropping from the list of top tourist destinations in Africa.

In a video seen by The Star, Mutua questioned why KRA officials harass tourists when other African countries do not, even though they collect the same taxes. He cited Rwanda, South Africa, and Dubai as examples of countries that do not harass tourists.

Mutua insisted that it is time Kenya made her visitors feel welcome by stopping some practices, such as the harassment of tourists. He noted that as CS for Tourism, that is one of the things he intends to fix.

Mutua said that KRA staff are not to blame, but they have bad habits. He promised that if the country wants to rake in revenue from tourism, the harassment of visitors must stop immediately.

Earlier this week, the taxation of personal goods at points of entry into Kenya upset a section of the public. However, when The Star sought clarification about alleged harassment and taxation of personal goods, KRA Deputy Commissioner, Marketing and Communication Grace Wandera referred to the KRA Customs Handbook on arrival and departure information, which details the requirements for travellers.

But there are still concerns over exorbitant taxes, which have forced some individuals to abandon their items. A clause that gives customs officers the powers to determine the value of goods and their taxable status is seen as a gap to impose taxes where they should not apply, amid cries of harassment by customs officials.

Tl;dr

Tourism CS Alfred Mutua has accused KRA officials of harassing tourists at JKIA, which is one of the reasons why Kenya is dropping from the list of top tourist destinations in Africa. He has vowed to fix this problem and make Kenya more friendly to visitors.

KRA Deputy Commissioner, Marketing and Communication Grace Wandera has referred to the KRA Customs Handbook on arrival and departure information, which details the requirements for travellers. However, there are still concerns over exorbitant taxes and the powers of customs officers to determine the value of goods and their taxable status.