Ruto Fires Board Members In KRA Reshuffle

President William Ruto on Friday, December 15 reshuffled the members of the Board of Directors of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).

In a gazette notice dated December 13, 2023, Ruto revoked the appointments of Wilkister M. Simiyu, Fancy C. Too (Dr.), Michael Kamau Kamiru, Darshan Shah and Samir Ibrahim as the Board of Directors of KRA.

In their place, the Head of State appointed Hadi Sheikh Abdullahi, Richard Boro Ndun’gu, Lydia Cherono Rono and Amolo Ngweno, who will all serve until January 12, 2026.

However, Ruto reassigned Michael Kamau Kamiru to the Nairobi International Financial Centre Authority. Kamiru will serve in the position for three years with effect from December 15, 2023.

KRA offices along Mombasa Road. /FILE

"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 8 (1) (a) of the Nairobi International Financial Centre Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, appoint—Michael Kamau Kamiru to be the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Nairobi International Financial Centre Authority, for a period of three (3) years, with effect from the 15th December 2023," the Gazette Notice read in part.

Darshan Shah whose appointment to the KRA Board of Directors was revoked by Ruto was reassigned by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung'u.

Shah will serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Nairobi International Financial Centre Authority for a period of three years.

In other changes, President Ruto appointed Shallow Abdullahi Yahya to be the chairperson of the National Drought Management Authority, assuming it effectively from December 15 for two years, until July 12, 2025.

The President at the same time revoked the appointment of Raphael Mullei Nzomo.

Ruto also appointed Aggrey Lucas Kidiavai as the chairperson of the State Corporations Appeal Tribunal. Kidiavai will serve in the position for five years with effect from December 15, 2023.

The reshuffling at the KRA board comes days after the taxman announced that it had collected Ksh1.03 trillion in the period to December 8, 2023, supported by increases in customs revenue from oil imports.

The collection which is 37 percent of the total collection target for the 2023/24 financial year was aided by customs revenue collections which increased by 17.6 percent to Ksh72.1 billion in November compared to Ksh61.3 billion in November last year.

“The good performance is attributed to oil taxes that collected Ksh27.943 billion, translating to a growth rate of 42.5 percent over Ksh19.610 billion collected in the same period in the last financial year. The good performance by oil taxes was mainly driven by growth in both overall oil volumes and values by 36.7 percent and 49.5 percent respectively,” stated KRA.

The increase was also attributed to a hike in Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel from 8 percent to 16 percent.