The government has, in recent days, spared no effort or platform to confirm its commitment to economic transformation as outlined in the Kenya Kwanza Manifesto.

Tax compliance is one of the critical planks featuring prominently in the economic transformation agenda. President William Ruto hardly misses an opportunity to advocate for tax compliance as a national development ingredient.

 As part of this commitment and the need to expand the tax base, President Ruto recently named new Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Board Directors just weeks after naming a new chairperson, Anthony Mwaura, who was appointed to the position last November.

 At the KRA Board, Mr Mwaura is now joined by Darshan Shah, Wilkister Simiyu, Dr Fancy Too, Michael Kamau Kamiru and Samir Ibrahim, who will serve for a three-year term, with effect from the 13th January 2023. The National Treasury Director of the Macro and Fiscal Affairs Department, Mr Musa Kathanje, will serve as the alternate to the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary, while Jennifer Gitiri will serve as the Attorney General’s alternate at the KRA Board.

 The new Board members will provide corporate governance leadership at KRA alongside Sally Mahihu, who has been retained as the appointments of Susan Mudhune, Mukesh Shah, Amb. Richard Opembe, Leonard Ithau (Eng.) and Charles Makori Omanga were revoked.

The new Board members will spearhead efforts geared at enhancing revenue collection in the next financial year 2023/24. According to the recently published Draft Budget Policy Statement by the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Prof Njuguna Ndung’u, in the FY 2023/24 revenue collection including Appropriation-in-Aid (A.i.A) is projected to increase to Ksh 2,897.7 billion (17.8 percent of GDP) up from the projected KShs 2,512.7 billion (17.3 percent of GDP) in the FY 2022/23. Revenue performance will be underpinned by the on-going reforms in tax policy and revenue administration measures geared towards expanding the tax base. Ordinary revenues will amount to Ksh 2,566.0 billion (15.8 percent of GDP) in FY 2023/24 from the estimated Ksh 2, 191.9 billion (15.1 percent of GDP) in FY 2022/23.

•         Darshan Shah

Mr Darshan Shah is a partner at PKF Kenya LLP and a director of PKF Taxation Services Limited with over 21 years of professional experience in tax advisory; mergers and acquisitions; financial consultancy and audit services. Mr Shah has extensive regional experience and has delivered assignments in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. His expertise cuts through a wide variety of experience covering tax, tax structuring and business planning, transaction advisory and assurance-related work. Mr Shah has also been heavily involved in a variety of tax work, including in-depth audits and investigations by KRA; advisory related to international tax and tax structuring in Kenya; policy-based tax submissions on behalf of clients; routine tax planning and tax advisory for clients and tax advisory surrounding mergers and acquisitions. Mr Shah has assisted various investors in the energy, infrastructure, hospitality and manufacturing sectors to set up in Kenya. Mr Shah is the co-author of the Wiley International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Interpretations Guide 2014 – 2021 and has extensive knowledge and experience of IFRS. He is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda and Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, UK (ACA). Mr Shah is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Certified Accountants (FCCA), UK.