Thursday saw the appointment of Rispah Simiyu as interim commissioner general by the Kenya Revenue Authority.
Her employment came as a result of her former boss Githii Mburu’s resignation. Board Chair Anthony Mwaura stated that Mburu resigned to pursue other personal interests.
Simiyu has more than 19 years of expertise as a tax specialist, according to the Authority.
She worked as the Regional Tax Manager East Africa for Standard Chartered Bank Kenya Ltd before joining KRA in April 2018. Her duties included postings in the larger African and Middle East regions.
While employed by the Bank, she also served as a member of the Finance and Audit Committee of the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA), notably as Chairperson of the Tax Sub-Committee, whose duties included educating management and staff of KBA members on current and upcoming tax issues.
Rispah Simiyu Education and Qualifications
Rispah Simiyu is a Certified Public Secretary, a member of the Law Society of Kenya, a Fellow Chartered and Certified Accountant (FCCA), a qualified Chartered Accountant, and an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
She has a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Dar es Salaam, a Master of Laws from the University of Nairobi with a concentration on international trade and investment, and a post-graduate Certificate in Law from the Kenya School of Law.
Rispah Simiyu Career
Mrs. Simiyu joins the team with 19 years of expertise in taxes. In 2001, she started working at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where she eventually attained the position of Tax Manager. Thereafter, she accepted a position as the regional tax manager for East Africa at Standard Chartered Bank Kenya. She served as a member of the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) Finance and Audit Committee while she was employed by Standard Chartered, specifically as chairperson of the Tax Sub-committee.
April 2018 saw her join KRA. She has achieved milestones in the government agency, such as increasing the number of conflicts resolved from 90 to 284 by 2020.
According to a statement from KRA Chairman Ambassador Francis Muthaura, Simiyu’s selection followed a thorough hiring process. This year’s application process started on August 8 and received 32 applications.
The Kenya Revenue Authority announced Rispah Simiyu as the interim commissioner general in February 2023. Her employment came as a result of her former boss Githii Mburu’s resignation.
