The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) have partnered to mainstream tax education in the education curriculum.

A report presented recently to KRA by the KICD revealed that there is a 95 per cent need for incorporation of tax education in the new competency-based curriculum in order to equip learners with requisite tax knowledge and mould them into responsible taxpayers.

KRA Commissioner General John Njiraini who received the report on behalf of the organisation hailed the steps taken so far by KRA and KICD in the journey towards mainstreaming tax education in the education system.

Mr Njiraini said that KRA has been considering introducing tax education in the Kenyan education system for a while and the partnership between the two organisations is an indication that the dream can now be realised.

He noted that tax education will mainly address issues to do with culture and attitude in the society towards tax issues.

?Compliance is driven by attitude. Therefore, implementation of this project will go a long way in changing how the future generations currently in school shall look at taxation,? Mr Njiraini noted.

KICD Director of Research Cyril Oyunga reiterated KICD?s commitment in the partnership with KRA to enhance awareness about taxation and make tax knowledge available to all people.

Mr Oyunga termed the ongoing reforms in the school curriculum as the best opportunity to introduce tax education in the country.

?Reforms exist because of a need to leverage existing opportunities and overcome challenges faced in the society. The ongoing reforms to phase out the knowledge-based curriculum with the competency-based curriculum have created ample room for Kenya to introduce tax education,? he said.

Part of the tax content to be covered include meaning of taxation, uses of taxes, mandate of KRA, tax audit process and international tax among others. Levels of education earmarked for the introduction of tax education include primary and secondary schools as well as teachers training colleges and institutes.