Njiraini: A legacy of missed revenue targets despite powerful connections
When he leaves office this month, John Njiraini will perhaps look behind his time as Commissioner General at Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and feel proud.
But to Kenyans, Mr Njiraini will go down in history as the man who never met revenue targets set for him by the Treasury throughout his tenure as the country’s chief tax collector.
TARGETS
His tenure will be contrasted with that of his predecessor Mr Michael Waweru, who surpassed all targets so much so that then President Mwai Kibaki rewarded him with a three-year extension.
Interviews with Mr Njiraini’s acquaintances paint a picture of an introverted man who hardly got along with the rank and file at Times Towers.
Mr Njiraini is a Bachelor of Commerce graduate at the University of Nairobi. He did his masters at the same institution between 1985 and 1987.
He served as the Chief Executive Officer at Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) between 1996 and 2006 before he joined KRA in February of that year as Commissioner for Domestic Taxes and Large Taxpayers Office.
REVENUE SHORTFALLS
He held the position up to February 2012 when he was promoted to the helm of the institution.
A native of Kiamaina Village on the foothills of Mt Kenya, Kirinyaga Central constituency, Kirinyaga county, Mr Njiraini leaves KRA reeling in serious revenue shortfalls.
As part of his reforms, KRA placed 60 of its senior managers on three-year contract from January 1, 2014 after terminating their permanent and pensionable terms on December 31, 2013.
The new contracts were to be renewed every three years, subject to performance, until one attained the age of 60.
When launching the new terms of service, Mr Njiraini said it was geared towards entrenching a performance-based management policy at all executive levels.
LIFESTYLE AUDIT
It is not clear whether that move yielded results because KRA is yet to meet any of their annual targets.
But his baptism of fire came when President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered KRA to conduct a lifestyle audit for its staff in 2015.
The exercise targeted 70 top managers including six commissioners, 32 deputy commissioners and 32 chief managers.
The presidential directive was targeted at rogue employees whose actions have led to loss of State revenue. But little is known about this audit outcome.
Last year, in a bid to shore up efficiency but was seen as succession game of musical chairs, Mr Njiraini effected massive changes and those affected were commissioners, deputy commissioners and general managers in what insiders say was an attempt to ward off relentless pursuit by DCI and also succession politics within the KRA.
INTRIGUES
Even as this happened palace intrigues continued with appointment of James Mburu as commissioner for Intelligence and Strategic Operations by Mr Njiraini, a move faulted by Auditor General Edward Ouko who said the position was illegally created.
In May last year, KRA board headed by Mr Edward Sambili held a special meeting and took a momentous decision to send Mr Njiraini on terminal leave pending his retirement.
Unknown to the board, their decision was to be thwarted by President Uhuru Kenyatta a few days later through a special gazette notice when he appointed a new board headed by Ambassador Francs Muthaura and backdated their appointment, thereby annulling the decision to send Mr Njiraini home.
Mr Njiraini ought to have retired on December 19, 2017, upon attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60 years or March 2018 when his two terms came to an end, but for a man who seems to have limitless reservoir of good will from influential power brokers, his tenure was extended for an year and three months, a favour not accorded many.
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