The National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity committee of the National Assembly has flagged the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) over the alleged skewed recruitment of KRA revenue assistants. It emerged that 133 applicants were allegedly dropped after being subjected to a mandatory HIV and pregnancy tests against the law.
In a process that was recently nullified by the High court on account, that only two tribes were hired, the revenue collecting agency employed 1406 revenue assistants.
In committee sitting yesterday, the Cohesion team cited Kenya Revenue Authority management of serious violation of the law in subjecting the applicants to a mandatory testing.
The committee chaired by Mandera West MP Yussuf Haji recommended an in-depth investigations into the matter. “There is no doubt that gross violation of the constitution was conducted by KRA during the recruitment of the revenue service assistants,” Haji said.
KRA Commissioner general Humphrey Wattanga who was appearing before the committee to respond to issues around the hiring, stated that they faced a lot of political interference in running of the programme
”The recruitment of the revenue service assistants was conducted by the Kenya defence forces on our behalf” he indicated
In defence, KRA Commissioner Risper Simuyu further clarified that the tests were necessary as the recruits were undergoing paramilitary training to prepare them for the enforcement work. The recruits were to undergo a two-month training in partnership with the Kenya Defence Forces.
The training was conducted at Recruits Training College in Eldoret and the graduands were to help the taxman in its plan to boost tax collection.
“I could be wrong, but I’m told the military always does this (subjecting people to HIV and pregnancy tests) during recruitments,” Simuyu told the committee.
Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge however protested Simiyu’s narrative maintaining that not all paramilitary trainings require HIV tests.
“We have young men and women who recently graduated having gone through NYS. Why weren’t they subjected to the tests?” Mathenge asked.
The Nyeri Town lawmaker added that there exists a several government institutions with enforcement officers and which do not compel would-be-staff to mandatory HIV testing.
“We should conduct a full inquiry on this organisation. The inquiry will help us cite KRA on violations against the constitution. It is apparent from this debacle that we have rights, but as long as such organisations exist,then people cannot enjoy them,” Mathenge said.
