Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Board Chairperson Ndiritu Muriithi has defended President William Ruto’s ambition to transform Kenya into a first-world country, “Singapore” expressing optimism that the goal is achievable without placing an excessive tax burden on Kenyans.
Speaking in Nanyuki, the KRA board chair said the vision can be realized by expanding the tax base and encouraging more Kenyans to pay taxes, rather than imposing punitive tax measures.
Muriithi criticized opposers of the plan, accusing them of focusing on castigating the president and promoting what he termed a hopeless mentality among Kenyans.
“There are those who have criticised the president for his repeated pitch that it is possible to transform Kenya. I think the purpose of leadership is to provide vision, and that is what the president is doing. One must congratulate him for staying true to that vision,” he said.
“To those who disagree with him, what is your own compelling vision? It is not enough to simply criticise a vision because it is not presented by a leader from your formation,” he added.
Muriithi further noted that while corruption may slow down development, it does not make national transformation impossible.
He challenged the opposition to present its own vision for the country, arguing that Kenyans should be allowed to choose between competing ideas rather than dismissing government initiatives outright.
“The presence of corruption in a country is not enough to stop a country from transforming to a higher income level, and an example of this is Costa Rica,” he said.
