HIGH COURT ODERS KIDERO TO PAY KRA SH. 427 MILLION

The High Court has ordered former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero to pay the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Ksh.427,269,795.00 in taxes for money raised towards his campaigns.

Justice David Majanja, in a ruling dated February 4, stated that Kidero had failed to demonstrate that the funds in question were raised for the campaigns and were actually utilized for that purpose.

The directive follows an audit by the taxman over the fundraiser money which Kidero maintained was raised and used for political party campaigns towards his Nairobi gubernatorial bid, thus making it immune to taxation.

“I agree with the Commissioner that the Respondent failed to discharge his burden as the evidence on record could not support the conclusions reached by the Tribunal.

“Consequently, the Tribunal erred in imposing on the Commissioner the burden of disproving the Respondent’s contention that the KES 423,000,000.00 was election campaign contributions when he had not provided sufficient evidence to surmount his obligation to establish this source of income,” said Justice Majanja.

The audit had revealed that the money was being deposited together with other business proceeds into Kidero’s personal bank accounts.