NAIROBI, Kenya — Former Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohamed has been sworn in as the new Commissioner General of the Kenya Revenue Authority, taking over leadership of the country’s tax collection agency at a time of growing pressure to boost government revenue.
Mohamed was appointed to the position by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi for a three-year term effective May 18, 2026.
The appointment was published through a special Kenya Gazette notice issued by the National Treasury.
He succeeds Humphrey Wattanga, who exited the agency earlier this year following weeks of speculation over leadership changes at Times Tower.
Mohamed brings decades of experience in banking, trade, economic policy and public administration into the powerful revenue collection role.
Before joining government, he held senior positions at Barclays Bank Kenya, including serving as Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director for East and West Africa, and later Chief Administrative Officer for Barclays Africa, overseeing operations across multiple African countries.
In government, Mohamed served as Cabinet Secretary for Industrialisation, Trade and Cooperatives under former President Uhuru Kenyatta before later heading the East African Community and Regional Development ministry.
He most recently served as Chief of Strategy Execution at State House under President William Ruto’s administration.
His appointment comes at a critical moment for KRA as the government seeks to widen the tax base and improve domestic revenue collection amid mounting public debt and increased spending pressure.
Mohamed also takes over as the tax authority continues implementing digital tax reforms, including the expansion of electronic tax management systems aimed at sealing revenue leakages and increasing compliance.
The veteran technocrat is expected to steer the agency through growing public scrutiny over taxation policies, rising cost of living concerns and pressure from the Treasury to meet ambitious revenue targets.
