Ex-KRA boss John Njiraini quits race for Land Commission chairmanship
Former KRA Commissioner-General John Njiraini. He has has withdrawn his candidature for National Land Commission chairperson. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Former KRA chief John Njiraini cites personal reasons for withdrawing his candidature.
- Njiraini was among 11 candidates shortlisted for that post after the exit of embattled Muhammad Swazuri.
- Dr Swazuri was hounded out of office by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) amid claims of fraud.
Former Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner-General John Njiraini has withdrawn his candidature for National Land Commission chairperson.
While citing personal reasons, he indicated in a letter to the selection panel that he had bowed out of the race.
“I wish to communicate my decision to withdraw as a candidate for the position of chairperson of NLC in order to pursue other interests,” the letter, dated August 7, reads in part.
The former chief taxman was among 11 candidates shortlisted for that post after the exit of embattled Muhammad Swazuri.
There were 117 applications received by the panel led by Pricilla Nyokabi.
Among the people who appeared for the interviews were former Nyeri MP Esther Murugi, Prof Paul Musili (lawyer), city lawyer Gerishom Otachi, land expert Dr Mwenda Makathimo and Mr Hussein Farah.
Others gunning for the job are Mr Robert Kilimo (surveyor), former Gatanga MP Humphrey Njuguna, former FIDA Kenya chairperson Naomi Wagereka, former Isiolo woman representative Tiyah Galgalo and Mr Patrick Adolwa, infrastructure director at Konza Technopolis Development Authority.
RECRUITMENT
Mr Njiraini appeared before the Nyokabi-led panel on July 29 alongside 10 other candidates seeking to succeed Dr Swazuri whose controversy-tainted six-year term ended in February.
Ms Nyokabi Thursday declined to respond to our calls and questions regarding the ongoing recruitment.
The NLC chairperson’s job is one of the most unenviable assignments characterised by slow pace of land reforms, infighting among commissioners and several cases of corruption denting its public image.
Dr Swazuri was hounded out of office by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) amid claims of fraud. The EACC suspects that NLC officers have inflated land compensation rates for nearly every public infrastructure development made in the past six years.
Mr Njiraini left KRA in June this year, having served as commissioner-general for six years. The KRA boss does not undergo parliamentary vetting.
NLC CHAIR
Before his ascension to the top position at the tax agency, he invited the wrath of parliamentarians by demanding taxes on salaries and allowances paid to MPs.
Ms Nyokabi’s team is supposed to pick two out of the 10 applicants and forward their names to President Uhuru Kenyatta, who will nominate one of them for the position of NLC chairperson.
Under the NLC Act, President Kenyatta has to forward his choice to Parliament for vetting within 14 days.
Ms Nyokabi also has an extra task of picking 16 names from the list of 70 applicants interviewed last week for the position of NLC commissioners.
Mr Kenyatta is supposed to nominate eight commissioners to serve alongside the person he settles on as the NLC chairperson.
The MPs must make a decision within 21 days after receiving the names of the President’s nominees on whether to approve or reject the list following the vetting.
