By Correspondent
The Kenya Revenue Authority is keen on partnering with tech developers in building digital systems that help in easing access to public services in the country.
The tax collecting body on Wednesday underscored its commitment to partnerships with the tech developer community for co-creation of simplified service solutions, as part of its larger digital transformation agenda.
KRA is the first public sector institution that has built a platform that enables businesses and other private sector players to seamlessly integrate with its ecosystem.
The GavaConnect Enterprise API platform has exposed 16 APIs and registered over 1,000 developers, reflecting a strong industry interest in tax-tech innovation.
Speaking at the masterclass, KRA’s Deputy Commissioner for Programme Delivery & Client Engagement, Ms Annastacia Githuba, said that GavaConnect is a major milestone in the public sector, marking a decisive leap forward in Kenya’s tax digitisation agenda – one that places developers, innovators and private sector partners at the heart of building solutions that make tax compliance simpler, faster and more accessible for all.
“Today marks a great opportunity for us at KRA to open up to the wider tech community. As a representative of government, KRA is setting the pace by making government services accessible in ways that allow developers to integrate them into innovative solutions. This is not just about tax collection, it’s about creating opportunities for developers to build, innovate, and even monetise around our products, helping us improve services from the ground up,” she said.
The platform offers a growing library of APIs, such as the PIN and Tax Compliance Certificate checkers, NIL Return filing, and an e-Slip checker, all designed to improve taxpayer experience, support compliance and enhance efficiency.
The Masterclass brought developers together for a hands-on and collaborative forum. This included an EAPI vision briefing, API demonstrations, and a feedback session where attendees gave input on their experience and suggested features for future APIs. The session was framed to support all interested developers, whether onboarding for the first time or building advanced solutions that support our taxpayers.
Looking ahead, KRA plans to extend GavaConnect’s reach to key initiatives like the electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS) and enhanced VAT compliance tools to streamline VAT and other tax compliance processes for customers. Integrating such services via APIs will further simplify compliance and reporting for businesses; tying back to KRA’s goal to simplify compliance and embrace new technologies.
The API Masterclass series is a concrete step in that direction, cementing KRA’s partnership with Kenya’s tech community to co-design the future of tax administration.
