RAIA | Kenya’s Civic Intelligence Engine. Translating dense state records into instant, verified facts on WhatsApp. Building the nation’s civic memory. #RAIAKE
Kenya
Joined March 2026
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RAIA.AFRICA retweeted
#CivilSociety often helps to draft bills, yet too often finds itself reacting only after Parliament passes them. Advocacy must run through the whole policy cycle, not just the drafting table.
With @KICTANet and @BakeKenya at Mageuzi Hub, we joined a dialogue on Advocacy Strategies for Better Tech and Media Policies as Kenya heads to the 2027 polls.
Key takeaways:
1. Defamation damages are fuelling self-censorship.
2. Media must report digital rights as agenda setters.
3. Tools like Phoenix and Raia Africa’s WhatsApp chatbot can power evidence-based advocacy.
#DigitalRights #Kenya
@pkimumwe
RAIA.AFRICA retweeted
BAKE in partnership with @KICTANet is hosting a multi-stakeholder dialogue on advocacy strategies for better tech and media policies in Kenya.
Dr. Grace welcomes all stakeholders present during her opening remarks, encouraging open and honest engagement throughout the dialogue.
RAIA.AFRICA retweeted
Also joining the conversation is @HelloRAIA, represented by Nepurko, which is building civic technology that makes complex government records, legislation, budgets and parliamentary proceedings easier for citizens to access and understand.
RAIA.AFRICA retweeted
International Day of Democracy. Article 1 of Kenya’s Constitution: all sovereign power belongs to the people, exercised directly or through elected representatives. What does “directly” look like on a Tuesday when nobody is voting?
RAIA.AFRICA retweeted
This #InternationalYouthWeek, we're spotlighting young Kenyans reshaping our future.
Meet RAIA Africa a youth-led civic tech innovation turning complex government data into information every citizen can actually use and understand.
To this and every youth-focused/ youth-led organization building a more informed, engaged Kenya: we see you, and we appreciate you.
@helloRAIA
#YouthWeek #CivicTech #RAIAAfrica
RAIA.AFRICA retweeted
UPDATE: The Revenue Authority is lining up a number of changes to buttress Finance Act 2026's introduction of phased out Income Tax Return filing (see quoted tweet).
The authority says it will:
· Abandon the excel file based filing in favour of a purely web based filing system. So taxpayers won't be downloading
· Expand the scope of the AI-powered virtual assistant, Shuru, for more complex filing
· Upgrade iTax ahead of April 30th, 2027 which will be the debut phase of staggered filing of income tax returns
PS:
· Worth noting the authority says there shall be no Incomes & Expenses Validation for the 2026 year of income, apparently it was only for 2025
· Question, how does this align with the Finance Act 2026 amendment to Sec75 of the Tax Procedures Act?
· If the law provides that the taxpayer has the right to confirm or amend a pre-populated return, doesn't it follow that there shall be a validation exercise accompanying this in the case where an amendment is done?
After much debate, Kenya is now enforcing a staggered Returns filing timeline per the amendment to Sec52B of the Income Tax Act:
· Individuals will be required to file by the last day of the fourth month following the end of their year of income (April 30th). Underline the word "individuals"
· The law now provides that "every person, other than an individual" (i.e. corporates) will be required to file by he last day of the sixth month following the end of his accounting period (June 30th)
RAIA.AFRICA retweeted
President William Ruto has assented to the Finance Bill 2026 at State House, Nairobi, making it the Finance Act 2026, with Treasury expecting the new law to raise over KES 100B.
— Dropped measures include KRA’s proposed power to issue agency notices while tax disputes are under High Court appeal, and enhanced taxes on imported and locally assembled mobile phones, with estimated revenue impact of KES 18.7B and KES 18.15B respectively.
— The Act leaves the mitumba tax regime unchanged, removes proposed excise duty on mobile phones and bottled water, and raises the duty-free allowance for personal goods to USD 2,000 from USD 300.
— Remaining revenue measures are concentrated in excise duty, including imported sugar where duty rises to KES 40.00/kg from KES 7.50/kg, tobacco products, antique and classic vehicles at 50% of excisable value, imported MDF, plywood, particle boards, timber, shower heads and heating elements.
— The Act extends the tax amnesty to December 2026, raises the Affordable Housing Levy collection fee to up to 2.0% from 0.5%, cuts the Road Annuity Fund allocation to KES 1.50/litre from KES 3.00/litre, and sets the e-tax system non-compliance penalty at 5% of tax due instead of double the tax due.
RAIA.AFRICA retweeted
Tired of tracking the Finance Bill 2026 through broken links and scanned PDFs? Holding the government accountable just got easier. Test our lite RAIA WhatsApp bot here: raia.africa/whatsapp
#FinanceBill2026