KRA Clarifies Reports of Ruto Introducing Taxes for Using Social Media
Social media was awash for the better part of Tuesday afternoon with a video alleging President William Ruto’s administration would introduce monthly charges for online users.
The narrator in the video in question claimed that the new charges would be implemented across five social media platforms to assist the government in collecting revenue.
Per the video, Facebook users would pay Ksh900 per month, WhatsApp users would pay Ksh1,100 per month, whereas TikTok users seeking to either browse through content or engage in daily challenges would pay Ksh1,300 monthly.
Additionally, the video also claimed that Telegram users would pay Ksh1,400 per month and Instagram users would settle for Ksh1,600 to use the platform.
The new charges would allegedly take effect on December 21, 2023.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has, however, disputed the video, branding it as false.
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“Kindly be advised that this is fake news,” the taxman stated, refuting reports of new charges for social media users.
The video, which had gained over a million views on TikTok, had led to users complaining that the Kenya Kwanza administration was subjecting another tax on Kenyans who are already facing a tough economic environment.
“Ruto is taking us back to the stone age, very useless government,” a user called Sadda commented.
“Kenya doesn’t have any money, looks like the government is taxing everything,” another user called Dean stated.
The Kenya Kwanza administration has in the past faced significant criticism for implementing levies across various sectors, with many Kenyans expressing the view that it has worsened the economy of the country.
KRA Clarifies Reports of Ruto Introducing Taxes for Using Social Media