In a gazette notice dated June 6, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich confirmed the appointment of James Githii Mburu as the next Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner General for a three-year period effective July 1, 2019.
“In exercise of the power conferred to me by section 11 of the Kenya Revenue Authority Act, Cabinet Secretary of National Treasury and planning appoints James Githii Mburu to be the Commissioner-General of the Kenya Revenue Authority for a period of three years effective 1 July 2019,” read the gazette notice.
The KRA top post was advertised on April 24 as the current officeholder is expected to exit this month. Mburu was among the 30 applicants to KRA board for the position and he stood out among the five finalists who were shortlisted for the position.
He will be replacing John Njiraini who has been at the helm of the revenue body since March 2012 when he replaced Michael Waweru Prior to his appointment.
Prior to his appointment, Mburu served as Commissioner for Intelligence and Strategic Operations who led investigations that saw several KRA officials arrested for aiding tax evasion.
In 2017, Activist Okiya Omtatah filed a case in which he challenged the creation of Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner General vacancy for Githii claiming that he is related to the outgoing boss John Njiraini. He even went to court to try and stop James Mburu from the shortlisted individuals for the position alleging that he had been handpicked to fill the position in a racket to rig the appointment of the commissioner general.
Njiraini’s tenure had been extended last year by the KRA board with one year following a Presidential directive.
