KRA creates new top post in jobs review

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has created another position of commissioner, as it moves to reduce the number of officers directly reporting to the commissioner-general to 10 from 17.

The post, that of commissioner for corporate support services, is part of the parastatal’s restructuring that is intended to re-orient its operations to support increased revenue collection and represents the first opportunity for the new tax chief to firm his grip on the management.

The commissioner, according to an advertisement placed in the dailies on Monday, will oversee several departments that previously reported directly to the commissioner-general.

This brings a number of support service departments, including finance, human resources, procurement, ICT, administration and other logistical services under one commissioner.

The reorganisation follows the split of the support services role into two—corporate and technical support services, each of which will be headed by a commissioner. The latter includes legal services.

“Basically this is meant to ease the administrative role. It is a large function involving all our workers,” the Commissioner-General, Mr John Njiraini told Business Daily.

This first top recruitment under Mr Njiraini brings the number of commissioners at KRA back to a high of six from five.

Before the merging of road transport services and support services last year into one division headed by a commissioner, the total number of commissioners was six.

The former commissioner for road transport services, Simeon ole Kirgotty, left KRA and joined the ministry of Housing when the two departments were merged.

This followed wrangling over whether the transport department should be moved to the ministry of transport or remain at KRA.

READ: Treasury places KRA, ministry on collision course

According to a memo circulated to staff by Mr Njiraini towards the end of March this year, the review of the organisational structure is meant to ease the commissioner-general’s work so that he can concentrate on KRA’s core mandate of revenue collection as well as provide closer oversight for support service functions.

“In the proposed re-organisation, officials who directly report to the CG will reduce from 17 to 10,” said Mr Njiraini in the communication addressed to staff and dated March 26.

The merging of several support departments under a commissioner is to ensure that they support revenue collection more effectively.

“In the past, revenue departments especially, have expressed the need to see more effective facilitation from support service departments. This is being addressed through consolidation of oversight responsibility for support service departments,” said Mr Njiraini.