Newly appointed Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga on Friday handled his first assignment since assuming office at Times Tower.
It was during the graduation ceremony of 1,405 revenue service assistants which was presided over by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
"Today’s event is indeed significant to KRA considering the role that these graduands will play towards enabling us to meet our mandate, to collect adequate revenue and achieve our country’s financial quest," Wattanga said.
The graduands underwent a two-month training course at the Recruits Training College in Eldoret and part of their work will include efficient filing of taxes for Kenyans.
Wattanga told them that they now have the noble duty of supporting the KRA to hit the Sh2.768 trillion revenue collection target by the end of the 2023-24 Financial Year with a view of surpassing the Sh3 trillion mark by the 2024-25 Financial Year.
He said with the knowledge impacted by the revenue service assistants, he is confident that KRA will achieve the target.
"This ceremony therefore marks the beginning of a journey that holds great prospects for all the graduates, KRA and the entire nation. I congratulate all graduands, and wish them all the best as they join the KRA family in serving this great nation," Wattanga said.
Wattanga was appointed the new Commissioner General of the Kenya Revenue Authority on Tuesday by Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung'u.
He replaced Githii Mburu who resigned in February after a three-year and seven-month stint at Times Tower.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony, KRA chairman Antony Mwaura said the authority will continue employing strategies in a bid to attain the set revenue targets.
This, he said, will include expansion of the tax base by tapping into new taxable income sources.
He added that KRA will continue to simplify the tax regime to ease compliance and service delivery and implement programmes to facilitate and motivate KRA staff for enhanced productivity.
"Our vision is to make KRA amongst the best revenue administrations globally," he said.
The Prime CS who represented President William Ruto at the pass-out event in Eldoret asked the revenue service assistants to be respectful to taxpayers in the course of enforcing tax compliance.
"This is especially important in your relationship with our informal sector. Understand the flow of their revenue streams and help them organise themselves to operate within the law," Mudavadi said.
He noted that the adoption of a business-friendly approach has enabled KRA to record an increase in revenue collection.
"It recorded a 6.7 per cent growth in the Financial Year 2022-23 after collecting Sh2.166 trillion compared to Sh2.031 trillion in the2021-22 financial year," he said.
"Your assignment is therefore clearly spelt out. When you leave this place, you will be deployed countrywide to mobilize revenue, enhance compliance and recruit more Kenyans into the tax bracket," he added.
Present during the ceremony were Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, Defence CS Aden Duale, Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung’u, KRA Board members and Deputy Army Commander Lt Gen David Tarus.
