Candidate on the spot over tax returns

A candidate for the post of Chief Registrar of the Judiciary was on Thursday put to task over tax returns.

International Commission of Jurists-Kenya executive director George Kegoro was one of the five candidates who appeared before the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) as interviews for the Judiciary position started on Thursday.

The panel is interviewing candidates for the post of Deputy Chief Registrar at the same time.

Mr Kegoro, who also served as secretary of the Law Society of Kenya between 1995 and 2005, found himself in a tight spot when the commission discovered that he had not submitted sufficient proof that he had paid tax for the past three years.

As a requirement for qualification, the JSC wants candidates to prove that they had paid tax.

While Mr Kegoro had a tax clearance certificate issued by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the same taxman had submitted a list of tax-compliant applicants that excluded Mr Kegoro.

Mr Kegoro had also not submitted proof of tax returns for the past three years to the commission.

In response, Mr Kegoro said he was not aware why KRA exclude his name.

“I usually file returns every year whenever they are due but I guess I will have to check with them (KRA),” he said.

Mr Kegoro was also secretary to the Commission of Inquiry into the Goldenberg Scandal and that on the post-election violence (The Waki Commission).

Registrar of the High Court Lydia Achode was also among those interviewed.

Ms Achode also appeared before the commission last week when she sought to be a High Court judge. She is also the serving secretary to the JSC.

Earlier in the day, the JSC quizzed Court of Appeal Registrar Moses Serem, the only candidate to use a laptop before the commission so far.

He found himself in a tight spot when he claimed the JSC has no powers to approve the budget for the Judiciary but Parliament.

However, he could not cite the exact law that says that.

The budget estimates for the Judiciary are prepared by the Chief Registrar two months before the end of a fiscal year and are approved by the JSC before being moved to Parliament.

Others interviewed are Mr Stephen Kibunja and Mr Joel Ng’eno.

The JSC had earlier published names of 17 applicants, five of whom sought to be Deputy Chief Registrar.

However, the official short list for interview excluded one name.