Nairobi, 12th June, 2024
The Nairobi Revenue Authority (NRA) held its first board meeting at CBK Pension Towers, marking a significant milestone in its establishment. The meeting’s primary agenda was the appointment of Dr. John Ntoiti as the interim CEO, who also serves as the County Director, Revenue Administration.
Chairman of the board, Andrew Chege who attended the meeting on line delegated authority to the Vice Chairman Ronald Meru to conduct the meeting on his behalf.
Mr. Meru celebrated the progress made in establishing the NRA offices. “We have had our first board meeting in our offices, and I can report good progress that will see us moving in soon.”
The Vice Chair introduced Dr. John Ntoiti as the interim CEO, whose appointment was approved by the NRA board. He expressed gratitude to H.E. Governor Sakaja Johnson for providing the long-needed office space and assured that efforts are being made to meet and exceed revenue targets for the year. “We are close to beating the 2015 revenue target and setting a new record by the end of this financial year.”
Mr. Meru highlighted the positive impact of the customer service centre, which has efficiently handled queries, thus contributing towards increased revenue collection. He also noted the success of the Unified Business Permit (UBP) initiative, which has also significantly improved revenue collection. He urged Nairobi residents to take advantage of the ongoing land rates waiver that will go a long way in facilitating county projects and programs.
County Chief Officer for Revenue Administration and Director within NRA, Wilson Gakuya, celebrated the milestones achieved, including the new NRA offices and the appointment of the acting CEO. He emphasized the importance of good governance and professionalism in revenue mobilization. “The NRA board is expected to inject new energy in terms of administration and professionalism, ensuring the county has adequate resources to fulfil H.E Governor Sakajas’ promises to the people of Nairobi,” he stated.
Mr. Gakuya shared that the county’s revenue projection for this financial year is KES 20 billion. Although the actual target may not be achieved, he was optimistic about breaking the historical record set in 2015 of KES 12.1 billion. “Last year, we collected KES 10.6 billion, and this year, we aim to surpass that figure,” he added.
Interim CEO Dr. John Ntoiti expressed his gratitude to H.E. Governor Sakaja and the County Executive for Finance and Economic Planning for his appointment. He emphasized the importance of professionalizing revenue collection and transitioning revenue collection from being a department to a parastatal of the government. “We are on track to break the revenue collection record set in 2015/2016, and we anticipate collecting almost KES 13 billion by the end of June,” Dr. Ntoiti shared.
Dr. Ntoiti acknowledged the contributions of the NRA board members, whose combined public and private sector expertise is expected to propel the NRA to new heights. “Today marks the beginning of our operations, and we are committed to achieving unprecedented revenue collection for the benefit of Nairobi County,” he concluded.
The meeting was attended by NRA board members Wanjiru Gikonyo, Irene Otieno, Mary Gesare, Carolyne Mutheu, and Shaban Asman.
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