KRA seeks to replace Githii Mburu

The taxman advertised the critical job in the local dailies on Wednesday, whose holder serves for a five-year term, signaling the possible end of Mrs Simiyu's tenure since her appointment in October last year to tame a looming leadership crisis.

Mrs Simiyu's appointment followed the abrupt departure of former President Uhuru Kenyatta's man at the helm of KRA, Githii Mburu. Mr Mburu resigned just days after President William Ruto appointed Anthony Mwaura, a former UDA party boss, to the board of directors.

“The Commissioner General is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Authority, the management of its funds and property and for providing leadership to the staff,” KRA says in a Wednesday advert. 

With an application deadline of April 25th, KRA has sought tax compliance certificate, among other statutory requirements, with experience spanning over 15 years, making the current holder of the role eligible to apply, as she has 19 years of experience in the same field.

Mr Mburu's departure triggered seismic changes in the authority's leadership, including the appointment of David Mwangi as acting Commissioner of Customs and Border Control, David Yego as Commissioner of Intelligence, Strategic Operations, Investigation, and Enforcement, and Nancy Ng'etich as acting Commissioner of Corporate Support Services.

Nonetheless, Mohamed Omar, Fred Mugambi, and Paul Matuku were retained as commissioners for Strategy Innovation and Risk Management, Kenya School of Revenue Administration, Legal Services, and Board Coordination, in that order.

After missing tax targets for the first time this year by Sh43.5 billion, the taxman announced in early March a series of changes and measures aimed at improving tax collection, even as the government scrapped some taxes, including a 1.5 percent digital services tax, as announced by President Ruto in late March at an investor briefing in Nairobi.

“Many countries imposed Digital Services Tax measures on income derived in their jurisdictions as a result of growth in digital commerce. Kenya has also done the same. Following discussions with players in this sector, we have committed to review this tax regime and align it with the two-pillar solution currently being developed by the OECD inclusive framework,” Ruto told investors at the American Chamber of Commerce Regional Business Summit.

The KRA's decision to appoint a substantive Commissioner General follows President Ruto's directive to the Treasury to review some taxes that he believes are aiding in tax evasion.

"I have also instructed the treasury to have a tax review of all the taxes. There are some taxes we certainly are going to reduce in the coming budget," the president told senior government officials.