Hundreds of taxpayers in Voi spent hours in long queues on Tuesday as they raced against the clock to file their 2025 income tax returns before the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) deadline. Many applicants complained of severe delays caused by congestion on the iTax platform. They noted that repeated system interruptions forced them to seek in-person assistance at KRA offices, where they encountered equally agonizing waiting lines.
Some taxpayers who spoke to Sifa FM revealed they had arrived as early as Monday in an effort to beat the deadline, yet they were still waiting to be served by Tuesday afternoon.
“I have been here since yesterday hoping to finish the process early, but the queues have been moving very slowly,” one frustrated taxpayer lamented. “The online system keeps failing, so many of us had no choice but to come to the office.” Others expressed deep disappointment that a process intended to be completed seamlessly online had become incredibly stressful due to the technical vulnerabilities of the iTax platform.
The chaotic rush at the Voi KRA offices also created a lucrative loophole for fraudsters. Several taxpayers reported that conmen were actively patrolling the queues, claiming they could fast-track the filing process for a fee. Some residents confirmed that unsuspecting taxpayers had already fallen victim to the scam.
After paying money to individuals posing as KRA agents, the victims realized too late that they had been defrauded. Despite these compounding frustrations, hundreds remained in the lines, determined to submit their returns before the midnight deadline to avoid hefty non-compliance penalties.
As the final hours ticked away, Voi residents urged the tax authority to strengthen both its digital infrastructure and physical customer service capacity to prevent similar last-minute gridlocks in future tax cycles. Meanwhile, KRA acknowledged the challenges, admitting that its iTax platform had experienced an overwhelming surge in traffic as millions of taxpayers attempted to file their returns simultaneously on the final day.
