KRA ordered to respond to suit challenging Njiraini’s retirement

The High Court on Thursday ordered the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to respond to a case challenging Commissioner General John Njiraini’s extension of tenure within  the next seven days.

Employment and Labor Relations Court Justice Nelson Abuodha directed that the responses be filed by December 13 and appear in court on the same day for inter-party hearing.

The court also noted that the matter must be heard and determined before December 20 when Njiraini is allegedly expected to retire.

In the case, activist Okiya Omtatah moved to court seeking to have the KRA board to immediately retire Njiraini and simultaneously commence the process for recruiting and appointing a new Commissioner General for KRA in strict compliance with the law.

Omtatah argues that from the time Njiraini turned 58 years of age, the board, together with National Treasury CS Henry Rotich were under obligation of the law to commence the process of identifying his possible successors for smooth exit from the service when he attains the mandatory retirement age of sixty (60) years.

He claims that the impugned intended extension of the tenure is discriminatory against all those public officials who have exited the public service upon turning 60 years of age.