The taxman announced changes among top managers, which saw former acting Commissioner General Rispah Simiyu named the Commissioner Domestic Taxes Department (DTD).
Simiyu acted as the acting CG from February 2023 to August 24, 2023 when Humphrey Wattanga Mulongo was named the new boss.
This prompted the new changes announced on September 7, 2023 officials said.
Wattanga was appointed to serve for a period of three years, following the completion of a competitive recruitment process by the KRA Board of Directors.
Former acting DTD commissioner David Mwangi was moved and named the Deputy Commissioner, Tax Dispute Resolution.
The Deputy Commissioner, Research and Knowledge Management Current Alex Mwangi was moved and named the acting Commissioner, Strategy, Innovation and Risk Management Department (SIRM).
Acting Deputy Commissioner, Tax Dispute Resolution Michael Kasingiu was named the Chief Manager, Independent Review of Objections in the changes.
The insiders said the changes were normal and necessary as Wattanga settles to his new job.
Officials said more changes are expected to enhance operations at the agency.
Read: Humphrey Wattanga Mulongo Appointed As New Commissioner General Of KRA
Wattanga describes himself as a “seasoned corporate and public finance professional with a strong interest in the systematic analysis of transformative market opportunities and the evaluation of their potential.”
He studied in Biochemical Sciences at Harvard University, before proceeding to the Wharton School for his Master of Business Administration, majoring in Information Systems Strategy and Economics.
“After gaining years of invaluable experience in the United States, initially with a pioneering web-based ERP technology firm (Agillion Inc.) and later with the world’s largest telecommunications company (AT&T), I moved to South Africa in 2004 and established a successful financial advisory firm that provided cross-border corporate finance and transaction advisory services to public and private sector clients on the continent,” reads his Curriculum Vitae.
“Ten years ago, I returned home and introduced a robust system for automating bond trading to the Nairobi Securities Exchange. Subsequently, we built a mobile gateway onto the platform, linking the bond trading system to Kenya’s pervasive mobile money market.”
“This expanded investment participation in the capital markets to include the previously excluded Mama Mboga. The National Treasury used the platform to issue the world’s first mobile-only government bond, M-Akiba. The Kenya Kwanza administration is planning on reviving issuance of the M-Akiba bond, for purposes of investing savings deducted from the Hustler Fund.”
The new KRA boss has, for the past six years, served full-time as a Commissioner on the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), rising to the position of Vice Chair.
He serves as a Managing Partner at Meghraj Capital Limited and is also a Director at the Nordic Impact Fund as well as the Kenya Climate Ventures (KCV) Limited.
He holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Wharton School of Finance (from the University of Pennsylvania, USA), and a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry (cum laude) from Harvard University, USA.
Simiyu has worked at the KRA for over four years prior to her latest appointment.
She served as the KRA commissioner from October 2020 where she was responsible for domestic taxes.
Simiyu also served as the KRA deputy commissioner from April 2018 to October 2020.
Prior to joining KRA, the incoming KRA boss was the East Africa regional manager of Standard Chartered Bank for seven years from January 2011 to April 2018.
She was also the manager of tax services at Price Water House Coopers for over nine years from September 2001 to December 2010.
KRA was established in 1995 and is mandated to collect revenue on behalf of the government.
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