The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has beefed up its digital transformation efforts by introducing a WhatsApp based chatbot, intended to make a huge difference in tax compliance and just generally make the tax filing process a whole lot simpler. This move is aimed squarely at the 22.6 million potential taxpayers that are already holding Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) but haven’t yet been filing their returns.
A Major Overhaul to Make Tax Filing a Breeze
The new chatbot, called Shuru, is a key part of KRA’s broader strategy to give its services a modern makeover and really improve the user experience. One of the main drivers behind this move is tackling some common complaints from Kenyans – tax filing can be a real pain, and it’s a process that lots of people find too complicated and time-consuming. By going with WhatsApp, the authority hopes to make tax services way more accessible to everyone.
According to some pretty eye-opening data from the 2024/2025 financial year that wraps up on June 30, 2025, only about 7 million Kenyans were actually paying taxes, despite a whopping 22 million individuals already having a PIN. That’s a pretty clear sign of just how big a gap there is that KRA is looking to close.
Reaching Out to a Whole Lot More Grown-Ups
KRA’s Commissioner for Micro and Small Taxpayers George Obell has explained that the authority is focusing in on adults with some sort of financial activity going on. As it happens, Kenya has got approximately 27.5 million adults aged 18 and over, with 22.6 million of them already holding a PIN. But, of course not all of them have got income that’s high enough to make them taxpayers.
Why on earth is KRA using WhatsApp?
Well, it’s pretty simple really. WhatsApp is a messaging platform that pretty much every Kenyan uses, day in, day out. With an estimated 40 million users in the country and penetration rates of over 90 percent among internet users, it’s basically the go to platform for communication, business and sharing information. By launching the chatbot on WhatsApp, KRA is tapping into something that’s already second nature to millions of people.
How the Shuru Chatbot Actually Works
The Shuru chatbot allows users to get access to pre-filled taxpayer info by starting a chat through the official contact number (0711099999). Once connected, users can pick from a menu of services that includes:
- Filing tax returns
- Making tax payments
- Accessing eTIMS services
- Applying for tax compliance certificates
- Checking PIN details
- Getting in touch with a real KRA agent
To actually get started, users need to enter their national ID number and KRA PIN. A one-off password is sent to their registered mobile number for verification. After that they can get access to their pre-filled data and complete all sorts of tax related tasks.
Reducing Visits to KRA Offices
KRA really believes the chatbot is going to make a massive difference by reducing the need for people to actually visit their offices. By offering services digitally, they’re hoping to make tax filing not just more convenient but faster too.