Kenya Appoints New Tax Chief Amid Fiscal Pressure

President William Ruto’s administration has appointed Adan Abdulla Mohamed as the new Commissioner General of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), effective May 18. This appointment comes as Kenya faces significant fiscal challenges, with a KES 932 billion revenue gap to close before the current fiscal year ends.

Mohamed’s appointment was announced in a government gazette and follows weeks of speculation about who would take on this critical role. The new tax chief brings extensive experience from both the public and private sectors, having previously served as CEO of Barclays Kenya (now Absa), Cabinet Secretary for Industry, Trade & Cooperatives, and Cabinet Secretary for East African Community.

His predecessor, Humphrey Wattanga, was moved out after just 31 months in office, reportedly for missing revenue targets. Mohamed inherits an agency that needs to collect more efficiently, accelerate digital transformation, and balance these efforts with public sentiment during a period of economic strain.