Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner General Githii Mburu has resigned.
Board Chairperson Anthony Mwaura communicated the decision in a press statement on Thursday saying Mburu had handed in his resignation letter to pursue other personal interests.
"Following the resignation, the board has appointed FCCA, CS Rispah Simiyu, Advocate EBS, to be the Acting Commissioner General KRA with effect from 23rd February, 2023 until the position is substantively and competitively filled," Mwaura said.
Mburu was appointed KRA commissioner general on June 6, 2019.
He was plucked from the intelligence wing of the authority at Times Tower to take up the critical post from John Njiraini who had left office at the end of his tenure.
Njiraini had served on the role since March 2012.
Mburu, an accounting expert, beat four other candidates to land the position with his most immediate mandate being cracking down on tax evaders and streamlining revenue collection which had fallen short for five years in a row.
Thirty people had shown interest in the John Njiraini succession race but only five made it to the shortlist.
They included tax experts Duncan Otieno Onduru, Richard Boro Ndung'u, Julius Waita Mwatu and Andrew Kazora Okello.
Mburu's appointment, however, sparked criticism with claims that the Mt Kenya region was being favoured as the custodian of the coveted position.
This was because two past commissioner generals, Njiraini and Michael Waweru, all hailed from the Central Kenya region.
Until his elevation to the Commissioner General of the tax agency, Mburu was a commissioner in charge of a newly created Intelligence and Strategic Corporations department since 2017.
Mburu's appointment was announced by then Treasury CS Henry Rotich and took effect on July 1, 2019 for a three year tenure.
On August 13, 2020, immediate former Treasury CS Ukur Yatani extended Mburu's term in a gazette notice dated August 12 which amended the term of office for the Commissioner General to five years.
This means Mburu's reign at the helm of the tax man should have ended in June, 2024.
