NAIROBI, Kenya, July 17 – The new Commission for Revenue Allocation (CRA) chairperson, Mary Wanyonyi, has pledged to institute radical changes to optimize revenue collection in the country, which she says will ensure equitable resource allocation.
Wanyonyi, who took the oath of office today as CRA’s chair, observed that the current revenue estimates are unrealistic and ambitious.
“CRA in making recommendations shall seek to enhance the revenue sources for the national and county government,” said Wanyonyi.
She observed that the shortage in collecting enough revenue leads to pending bills at the end of the year, a factor that, she adds, has affected service delivery over time.
Wanyonyi has further pledged to ensure optimum collection of revenue in counties through technology that will seal all the loopholes, making it impossible for pilferages.
“The lack of enough revenue collection is attributed to manual collection of revenue which is coupled with high collection cost. The game changer in counties is to automate revenue collection,” she added.
CRA is tasked with recommending the basis for equitable sharing of revenues raised nationally between the national and county governments.
The new CRA boss replaces Jane Kiragi, who retired in February after being at the helm of the revenue allocation commission for six years.
She is the wife of former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairperson Wafula Chebukati and boasts over three decades of experience in accounting alongside her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Wanyonyi will be the third CRA chair after Micah Cheserem and her predecessor, Jane Kirangi.
She takes over at a time when the county is riddled with a tense conversation about the controversial Finance Act that is set to directly impact her role as CRA chair.
