KRA Officer Charged for Demanding Sh500,000 Bribe to Fix School’s Tax Records

When Evans Agumba Oriato, a Customer Care Officer at the Kenya Revenue Authority’s Kisumu office, walked into court on November 13, 2025, he wasn’t just facing charges—he was standing at the center of a system many Kenyans know all too well: the quiet, persistent corruption that turns public service into a pay-to-play game. The accusation? He demanded half a million shillings to erase tax arrears for Jane Adeny Memorial School, a public secondary school in western Kenya. What makes this case stand out isn’t just the amount—it’s the chilling normalcy of it. A school administrator, desperate to avoid penalties, paid up. And then paid more. And then reported it.

The Transaction That Broke the System

It started on December 31, 2021, in a cramped office at the KRA’s Kisumu branch. Teresia Akinyi Wasonga, the school’s finance officer, was summoned to discuss irregularities in tax filings for the years 2016 to 2020. Instead of guidance, she was handed an invoice: Sh1 million to "reconcile" the audit report. She paid Sh500,000 upfront, hoping it would be the end of it. But Oriato wasn’t done. On January 13, 2022, he called her back—this time asking for another Sh250,000. She paid. Again. And again, he demanded more. That’s when she did the unthinkable: she went to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

The EACC, operating under Article 79 of Kenya’s Constitution, doesn’t just investigate corruption—it tracks patterns. And this wasn’t an isolated incident. Between 2021 and 2025, the EACC’s Western Regional Office recorded at least 17 similar complaints involving KRA staff in Kisumu County alone, mostly targeting schools, churches, and small NGOs struggling with complex tax codes. Most victims, like Wasonga, paid out of fear. But she didn’t. And that made all the difference.

Three Counts, One Pattern

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) didn’t just file one charge. They filed three. Each one precise, each one damning:

• Count One: Soliciting Sh500,000 on December 31, 2021, in exchange for altering the audit report
• Count Two: Agreeing to receive Sh250,000 on January 13, 2022
• Count Three: Actually receiving that Sh250,000 on the same day

Under Section 6(1) of the Anti-Bribery Act No. 47 of 2016, these aren’t minor offenses—they’re criminal acts punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Oriato, who had worked at KRA for over seven years, was arrested on November 12, 2025, after being summoned by EACC investigators. He spent the night in custody at the Railways Police Station in Kisumu before being arraigned the next morning before Chief Magistrate Benson Ireri.

He denied all charges. Loudly. But the prosecution didn’t need his confession. They had bank records, text messages, and a recorded conversation where Oriato said, "I can make this go away, but you need to move fast. The audit team is coming next week."

Why This Matters Beyond One School

Think about what this means for public education in Kenya. Schools like Jane Adeny Memorial don’t have legal teams. They don’t have accountants on retainer. They rely on government officers like Oriato to guide them through compliance. When those officers become gatekeepers of corruption, it doesn’t just hurt one institution—it undermines the entire system. Tax arrears are meant to be resolved through fair audits, not backroom deals. When a school pays a bribe to clear its books, it’s not just violating tax law—it’s teaching students that integrity is optional.

The EACC says this case is part of a broader crackdown. In 2024 alone, the commission prosecuted 89 public officials for bribery related to tax services—up 42% from 2022. Most were from KRA and the National Treasury. But few made headlines. This one did, because the victim had the courage to speak up. And because the money was traced.

"This isn’t about one corrupt officer," said EACC spokesperson Mercy Njoroge in a statement. "It’s about the culture that lets him think he can get away with it. We’re targeting the service delivery points—the frontlines where ordinary people meet the state. That’s where corruption lives.""

What Happens Next?

The case was scheduled for pre-trial directions on November 25, 2025—though some reports cited November 24. Either way, the timeline is tight. All witnesses, including Wasonga and three KRA internal auditors who flagged the discrepancies, are ready to testify. Oriato was released on a Sh500,000 bond with a surety of equal value—a common but controversial practice that lets accused officials walk free while the state bears the burden of proof.

Legal experts warn: if the prosecution fails to secure a conviction here, it could embolden others. "The public needs to see consequences," said Dr. Amina Mwangi, a law professor at the University of Nairobi. "When someone in uniform can demand cash to fix tax records, it tells every school, every clinic, every small business that the rules don’t apply to everyone. That’s the real cost of corruption—not the money stolen, but the trust destroyed."

Meanwhile, KRA has suspended Oriato pending trial. The agency says it’s reviewing its customer service protocols in Kisumu, including mandatory audio recording of all taxpayer interactions. Whether that’s enough remains to be seen.

Background: The Long Shadow of Tax Corruption in Kenya

Kenya’s tax system has long been a battleground between compliance and coercion. Since the 2016 Anti-Bribery Act, prosecutions have increased—but so have complaints. In 2023, a World Bank study found that 31% of small businesses in western Kenya reported paying bribes to KRA officers to avoid penalties. The figure was 47% for schools and NGOs.

What’s striking is how often these bribes are framed as "service fees." Officers don’t always demand cash outright. They say, "I can help you," or "This is how we do things here." Victims often don’t realize they’re being extorted until it’s too late. That’s why the EACC’s focus on recording interactions and whistleblower protection is so critical.

Even more troubling: Jane Adeny Memorial School’s tax arrears—estimated at Sh1.2 million—were largely due to misclassification of income, not fraud. With proper guidance, the debt could have been restructured. Instead, the school was held hostage by a single officer’s greed.