MPs have reinstated powers of the Kenya Revenue Authority board in hiring of deputy commissioners.
The Finance Committee of the National Assembly rejected the state’s bid to sideline the board in the appointments.
A state-backed bill sponsored by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah sought to delete a provision in law that made the board the new power hub.
KRA (Amendment) Bill, (No2), 2024, handed back the powers to the KRA Commissioner General.
The government sought to give KRA Commissioner General exclusive powers to appoint deputy commissioners without the board’s interference.
“The commissioner general shall appoint such deputy commissioners as may be deemed necessary,” the bill read.
It targeted to amend Section 13 of the KRA Act which says the board shall appoint the commissioners and other officers.
The committee chaired by Molo MP Kimani Kuria has, however, provided that the board makes subsequent approvals to the appointments.
“The additional layer of oversight would ensure a transparent and accountable process in the selection of senior management, thereby strengthening the governance structure of the Kenya Revenue Authority,” the committee said in a report tabled in Parliament recently.
“It would be important for the deputy commissioner to be appointed by the commissioner general.”
“This change aims to streamline internal management structure of KRA, allowing for quicker decision-making and a more agile administrative setup,” the report says.
The existing law provides that the board appoints commissioners and deputy commissioners – as may be deemed necessary.
The commissioner general is thus to appoint all other members of staff “as may be required by the authority for efficient performance of its functions.”
As part of the taxman’s top management, deputy commissioners attend board meetings in the absence of the commissioners – only that they don’t vote.
KRA commissioner general was stripped of powers to appoint senior officers and department heads in the Finance Bill, 2023. Concerns that the commissioner general is the accounting officer and CEO yet he has no powers to appoint top staff ensued.
The drawdown of board powers was also proposed in the Finance Bill, 2024 which was withdrawn following protests.
KRA has seven commissioners — Customs and Border Control, Legal Services and Board Coordination, Strategy, Innovation and Risk Management and Domestic Taxes.
Others are Intelligence, Strategic Operations, Investigations and Enforcement, Kenya School of Revenue Administration and the Corporate Support Services department.
If the proposal is approved the
board will have the final say.
