As we head to a new year, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is set to be under new management, following the swearing in of Nderitu Muriithi as the new Chairman of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) at the Supreme Court of Kenya.
Mr Muriithi’s appointment is viewed through the lens of both strategic necessity and reformative zeal, emphasized by his declared intent to focus on professionalism and fairness.
“My vision is to steer KRA to become a more professional, fair, yet firm organization guided by the core values of being trustworthy, ethical, competent, helpful, innovative and simple. Together with members of the Board of Directors, our endeavour will be to ensure KRA achieves its full potential by providing sound governance, oversight and accountability,” Mr Muriithi said.
Under his leadership, the authority will gear towards implementing advanced technological solutions to enhance the efficacy of tax operations. This digital transformation initiative aims to streamline revenue collection processes, enhance service delivery, and improve compliance by making systems more user-friendly and accessible.
Furthermore, the new chair is keenly aware of the imperative to expand KRA’s reach by broadening the tax base. With strategies including fostering greater compliance, simplifying tax processes, and ensuring that tax laws are applied equitably across various economic classes and sectors. The approach is expected to alleviate the burden on compliant taxpayers while addressing issues of tax avoidance and evasion.
This recent appointment comes amidst the backdrop of legal and administrative challenges within KRA’s leadership. For instance, the court ruling that nullified Anthony Mwaura’s appointment as chairperson highlighted critical governance issues that the new chair is now tasked to address, ensuring the authority’s operations align with legal and regulatory frameworks.
However, with over 30 years of professional and leadership experience that spans across the private and public sectors, Mr Muriithi is more than capable. He has already articulated a strong vision for capacity building within the organization, with plans to invest in comprehensive training initiatives that will enhance the skills and capabilities of the KRA staff.
With this new strategic direction, the new era of leadership, promises to bring about meaningful and sustainable changes that will benefit the Kenyan populace. The commitment to transparency and efficiency envisions a KRA that not only achieves but surpasses its revenue objectives, contributing positively to the nation’s fiscal health and development.
