Nairobi, April 23 -- The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has opened a crackdown on small traders who change mobile money paybill and till numbers to evade taxes, signalling a shift in the tax-man's pursuit of the elusive informal sector.

Acting Commissioner-General Lilian Nyawanda said the authority has detected widespread cases of traders frequently switching payment channels to avoid leaving a consistent transaction trail.

The tactic, she warned, no longer shields the traders from scrutiny in the race to weed out tax evaders.

The KRA has previously sought to integrate its system with those of mobile phone operators' financial platforms to catch those who do not pay tax on their incomes.

To track the transactions, the KRA is largely re...