The new Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner, James Mburu, served as a Commissioner for Intelligence and Strategic Operations before his appointment by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday.
In this position, Mburu developed a formidable intelligence gathering network which caused panic among tax evaders and their allies, People Daily reports.
His appointment has caused fear among some employees, who believe that Mburu is leading a war against them.
“The fear among employees is real but the challenge is to prove himself and dispel it.
It is one thing to be Commissioner-General and it is another to be the Commissioner for Intelligence,” stated William Ojoyo, a former chairman Kenya International Freight Forwarding and Warehousing Association.
The employees accused him and the former KRA boss, John Njiraini of taking part in the crackdown that happened in May, where 75 KRA officials were arraigned and interdicted in court.
“Mburu is an insider. He knows the KRA system well and he is likely to have an easy time. However, he will not have it easy settling down to work. Employees have a lot of suspicion against him,” one of the employees told the publication.
His appointment was signed by Cabinet Secretary, National Treasury and Planning, Henry Rotich.
The new boss will take up Njiraini's office after his tenure came to an end, with the notice affirming that Mburu would take the mantle from July 1, 2019, and go to serve for a period of three years.
Njiraini had attained the mandatory retirement age of 60 on December 19, 2017, leading to backroom wars regarding his replacement.
