The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Board Chairperson Ndiritu Muriithi has announced the exit of Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga after the Board declined to renew his contract, triggering a leadership transition at the tax agency. The development comes just a day after the taxman announced it had surpassed the KSh 2 trillion mark in revenue collection in the first nine months of the 2025/26 financial year.

In a statement sent to newsrooms on Wednesday, April 8, 2024, KRA Board Chairperson Muriithi said Wattanga will proceed on immediate terminal leave, effectively ending his tenure at the helm of KRA.

“The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Board informs the public that it will not be renewing Mr Humphrey Wattanga’s Contract of Service as Commissioner General. Consequently… he is proceeding on terminal leave effective immediately,” said Muriithi.

The move marks a significant shake-up at the revenue authority at a time when the government is under pressure to boost tax collection and sustain fiscal stability.

Even as the Board ended his contract, Muriithi commended Wattanga for his contribution to institutional reforms at KRA.

“During his tenure, he played a key role in advancing the Authority’s mandate. Notably, Mr Wattanga has been instrumental in the successful organisational restructuring reforms at the Kenya Revenue Authority,” he said.

Muriithi announced that Dr Lilian Nyawanda will take over in an acting capacity pending the recruitment of a substantive Commissioner General.

“In the interim, the Board has appointed Dr Lilian Nyawanda as the Acting Commissioner General… pending the recruitment of a substantive Commissioner General through a competitive process,” he said.

Dr Nyawanda currently serves as Commissioner of Customs and Border Control at KRA. Her appointment places her in charge of the authority’s operations during a critical period as the government leans heavily on tax revenue to finance its budget and manage rising expenditure demands.

Muriithi assured the public of continuity at the tax agency despite the leadership change.

“The Authority remains committed to discharging its mandate effectively, efficiently and in the best interest of the public,” he said.

The transition now paves the way for a competitive search for a new substantive head of the revenue authority. This move comes just a day after KRA announced it had surpassed the KSh 2 trillion mark in revenue collection despite tough economic times.

Revenue Collection Surpasses Ksh 2 trillion

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Wattanga confirmed that the taxman collected KSh 2.038 trillion ($15.68 billion) between July 2025 and 31 March 2026.

Despite falling short of its KSh 2.122 trillion target, the revenue collections represent an 11% growth compared to the same period in the previous financial year, according to the Authority.

KRA has attributed the milestone to reforms that are aimed at simplifying compliance, deepening digital integration, and embedding tax administration more seamlessly.

“The upward trajectory from KSh 1.829 trillion collected over the same period in FY 2024/25 signals resilience of the economy and resilience in revenue mobilization,” Wattanga said.

Revenue collection maintained steady quarter-on-quarter growth across all three quarters, indicating improving compliance consistency and gradual strengthening in economic activity,” he added.

During this period, Domestic Taxes remained the largest contributor, generating KSh 1.01 trillion, representing a 10.4% growth.

Customs and Border Control revenue came in second, delivering KSh 733.7 billion, accounting for a 13.3% growth compared to KSh 647.6 billion collected in the same period of FY 2024/25.

Revenue collected on behalf of other government agencies also rose to KSh 204.4 billion, compared to KSh 184.6 billion collected in the same period of the previous financial year.

The authority noted that relatively stable inflation, improved GDP growth, and a stronger shilling helped cushion revenue collection efforts, amid economic pressures.

Initiatives, including the Electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS), the GavaConnect developer portal, WhatsApp-based tax filing, and Shuru GPT, as well as USSD services and the Centralised Release Office, have played a key role in enhancing taxpayer compliance.