Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Board chairperson Ndiritu Muriithi has promised a more inclusive and representative hiring process as the tax agency moves to fill key leadership positions.
Speaking to NTV in a Tuesday interview, Muriithi acknowledged that past KRA recruitments were marred by ethnic imbalances, a legacy he says the authority is now working to fix.
KRA is currently in the middle of hiring four commissioners, 12 deputy commissioners, and nearly 30 chief managers, among other roles.
According to Muriithi, this round of recruitment offers a real chance to reset the narrative.
He also affirmed that they are using this opportunity to correct any imbalance that may have existed back then and that a professional HR consultancy is going to help to oversee the process and ensure fairness.
The promise comes against a backdrop of public concern and legal considerations.
Last year, a High Court ruling declared the hiring of over 1,400 revenue service assistants unconstitutional, after it emerged that 57% of the positions had gone to individuals from just two communities, Kikuyu and Kalenjin, fuelling accusations of regional bias.
Muriithi traced the skewed ethnic makeup at KRA’s senior levels to a previous recruitment drive that heavily favored certain communities. Many of those hired then have since risen through the ranks to top management.
“That issue came about because of a particular cohort that was hired back then,” he said. “What happened, happened. We may not fix it overnight, but I want Kenyans to know we’re working on it.”Pressed on whether members of overrepresented communities might be overlooked to balance the scales, Muriithi clarified that the goal is not exclusion, but equity.
“It’s not about locking anyone out. But if you're employing a hundred, you can deliberately correct previous imbalances," he said. "There's no corner of Kenya where you won't find talented, passionate people eager to serve. So why keep recruiting from the same place?”The current recruitment drive is also part of a broader push to grow KRA’s workforce, which now stands at just over 9,000.
KRA has since admitted that political interference played a role in the lopsided 2023 hiring, which the court flagged as unconstitutional. Muriithi’s comments now mark a public shift toward accountability and, potentially, a new chapter for the taxman.