NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Board Chairperson Ndiritu Muriithi has acknowledged historical ethnic imbalances in the agency’s staffing and pledged to use the current recruitment process to foster a more inclusive and representative workforce.
Speaking in an interview with NTV on Tuesday, Muriithi said the tax authority—currently hiring commissioners, deputy commissioners, and senior managers—is keen on correcting past disparities through a fair and transparent process.
“We are recruiting four commissioners, 12 deputy commissioners, nearly 30 chief managers, and so on. I think it provides us with an opportunity to correct any imbalance that may have been there in the past,” Muriithi said.
To ensure impartiality, KRA is working with an independent human resource firm during the recruitment process.
Muriithi said the authority recognizes the importance of reflecting the face of Kenya in its leadership and operations.
The statement comes amid persistent concerns over regional bias in KRA’s hiring practices.
In a 2023 ruling, the High Court declared the appointment of over 1,400 Revenue Service Assistants unconstitutional, noting that 57 percent of the positions were awarded to individuals from just two communities—Kikuyu and Kalenjin.
Muriithi linked the imbalance to a specific recruitment cohort from previous years, whose members have since risen through the ranks to senior leadership roles.
“That issue came about; there was a cohort that was hired, and that’s what prompted that particular difficulty. Many of our senior managers were once graduate trainees who joined the organization at that point,” he explained.
Although he admitted the effects of the past may not be reversed overnight, Muriithi said reforms are underway. “What happened, happened. We may not be able to fix it instantly, but I want the country to know it is a work in progress.”
Responding to whether the ongoing process could lock out candidates from overrepresented groups, he clarified: “It’s not about locking out; it is that if you’re going to hire a hundred people, you proactively decide to correct an imbalance from the past.”
“There is no corner of Kenya where you won’t find qualified, talented people… you have no reason to just stay in one little corner. It is wrong in any case,” he added.
The new recruitment is part of KRA’s efforts to strengthen its workforce, which currently comprises over 9,000 employees.
The agency has also admitted that political interference played a role in the skewed 2023 hiring that was nullified by the courts.
