Njiraini named new tax boss
John Njiraini moments after being unveiled as the new Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner General on January 19, 2012. Photo I Nation Correspondent
Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed John Njiraini as the new Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner General, the tax body's board announced on Thursday.
John Njiraini was the authority's Commissioner of Domestic Taxes and was pivotal in ensuring Kenyan Members of Parliament (MPs) were finally looped into the tax paying bracket. He replaces the outgoing Michael Waweru who retires in March.
The post of Commissioner of Domestic Taxes has now be taken by Pancrasius Nyagah.
The KRA board, which concluded interviews on Thursday, forwarded Njiraini's name to the Finance minister for ultimate appointment. (READ: Uhuru to have final say on who becomes next KRA boss)
Mr Njiraini's appointment comes a day after Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) went to court seeking orders to stop the KRA board and the Ministry of Finance from recruiting a new Commissioner-General arguing that he current hiring process “is shrouded in mystery.”
On Wednesday, High Court Judge Isaac Lenaola certified the case as urgent and directed the parties to appear in court on Friday for the hearing.
Cofek wants interviews of the seven short-listed candidates to be conducted in open sessions.
The decision by the KRA board to conduct the interviews- which commenced on Monday- in closed session, is unconstitutional, unjustified and unreasonable, Cofek argues.
