Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, stated in a 2 August interview that Kenya will impose capital-gains and windfall taxes on oil, gas and mining companies within months to ensure the East African nation maximizes benefits from its mineral resources.
Enacting the laws this year will be a positive signal to investors that Kenya is keen on creating necessary conditions for the industry. “This is something that we are very clear about,” Kenyatta said from Nairobi’s State House, “We want to ensure that we as a country also are able to benefit from both the windfall and capital-gains tax.”
Recently oil reserves have been found in northern Kenya, while gas exploration continues and the nation’s potential for gold production is being studied.
Kenya hopes the new legislation will prevent similar situations to Tullow’s experience in Uganda, where the company is appealing against the state revenue authority’s demand that it pay capital-gains tax of about US$473 million following its sale of assets in Uganda.
For an in-depth analysis of this issue and how it will affect the exploration companies operating in the country please see our upcoming issue of East Africa Politics & Security.
© 2014 Menas Associates
