Kenyan Businesswoman Fined Sh81 Million for Evading KRA Taxes

A woman in Kisumu has been ordered to pay a fine of Sh81.4 million or serve seven years in prison for evading taxes.

Antonina Muyoka Sangura, a businesswoman who worked with the Vihiga County government, has been found guilty of 12 counts related to not filing returns and not paying taxes to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) totalling Sh84,989,824. Sangura was the secretary of Ollkey Consultants Limited which won a tender from the Vihiga County government but did not pay taxes. As of 2018, the company owed KRA Sh72,092,847 in taxes which increased to Sh84,989,824 due to interest.

The other directors of the company, Margret Nduku and Wycliffe Muendo Kilaka, failed to appear in court for the Tuesday trial. On March 28, 2019, Sangura was arraigned for six violations of the Fiscal Procedures Act, 2015. According to the charges, she did not file her income tax returns or remit income tax within the designated timeframe from 2014 to 2018.

On Tuesday, Senior Principal Magistrate Fatuma Rashid found Sangura guilty of all charges. The court fined her Sh200,000 or sentenced her to two years imprisonment for failing to file tax returns. The court declared her guilty of willfully failing to comply with the obligation to remit income tax for the years 2014 to 2018. Sangura told the court that she is not a flight risk due to her responsibility as a parent. She further hinted at appealing the sentence.