Former Oki General Trading director Honey Khatwani has been linked to the company’s mounting tax dispute after the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) demanded Sh827.4 million in alleged unpaid taxes tied to transactions carried out during his time at the firm.
In documents filed before the Tax Appeals Tribunal, the company claimed that most of the disputed withdrawals and transactions were made between 2020 and 2024 when Khatwani oversaw the company’s financial and operational affairs.
KRA wants the Tribunal to uphold the tax assessment comprising Sh258.2 million in Pay As You Earn (PAYE), Sh438.4 million in corporation tax, Sh130.6 million in VAT and Sh44,877 in withholding tax.
Tribunal filings show that investigations into Oki General Trading’s Ecobank and Absa Bank accounts uncovered withdrawals exceeding Sh604 million made by directors and employees during the period under review.
According to KRA, the withdrawals amounted to taxable benefits and earnings.
“The drawings by the company’s staff and directors from company bank accounts were presumed to be earnings and were therefore subjected to PAYE,” KRA said in its submissions.
However, Oki General Trading disputed part of the assessment, arguing that some of the withdrawals were unauthorized and involved alleged misappropriation of company funds during Khatwani’s tenure as director.
The company maintained that KRA improperly classified the disputed withdrawals as employment income despite ongoing criminal and commercial cases surrounding the alleged loss of funds.
Khatwani is separately facing criminal charges over claims that he stole approximately Sh356 million from the company between January 2020 and June 2024 while serving as a director.
Court documents in the criminal proceedings allege that company funds were diverted into personal accounts and allegedly used to set up other businesses.
KRA further accused the company of understating imports, failing to account for stock appearing in customs records and claiming purchases whose customs duties were allegedly unpaid.
“The variances indicate that the company received stock items more than those accounted for as purchases in the financial statements,” KRA stated.
The tax authority also faulted the company for allegedly failing to provide key records, including payroll data, employment contracts, forensic audit reports, transfer pricing documentation and stock reconciliation reports during the objection process.
KRA upheld the assessment through an objection decision dated July 17, 2025, saying the company had failed to submit adequate supporting documents.
The Tribunal additionally received company registry records linked to related commercial disputes.
A Companies Registry extract dated April 7, 2026 and addressed to CJ Law & Associates LLP lists Sai Nath Ventures Limited under a company registration number showing Kamlesh Parwani and Metrine Vihenda as directors and shareholders.
Registry records indicate the company is registered along Waiyaki Way in Nairobi’s Parklands area.
The certificate was electronically issued by the Registrar of Companies on April 7, 2026.
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