Former Industrialization Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohamed has been sworn in as the new Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner General, despite a court petition challenging the appointment at the country’s tax agency.
Mohamed took the oath of office on Wednesday, May 20, during a ceremony at the Supreme Court of Kenya.
The swearing in of the new KRA boss was presided over by Judiciary Registrar Winfridah Mokaya.
This comes after Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi appointed Mohamed as the KRA Commissioner.
In a gazette notice published on Monday, May 18, CS Mbadi said Mohamed will serve in the position for a period of three years.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 11 (1) of the Kenya Revenue Authority Act, the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury appoints Adan Abdulla Mohamed to be the Commissioner General of Kenya Revenue Authority, for a period of three (3) years, with effect from the 18th May, 2026,” the notice read.
Mohamed served in the previous administration under retired President Uhuru Kenyatta as the Cabinet Secretary for Industrialization and Enterprise Development.
He also served in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Acting Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, and Cabinet Secretary for East African Community and Regional Development.
The new KRA Commissioner General studied at the University of Nairobi, graduating with a First-Class Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1989, before later earning an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Mohamed started his professional career at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he trained as a chartered accountant in London.
After completing his MBA, Mohamed joined Barclays Bank in Kenya and steadily rose through senior leadership positions.
Before being appointed to head KRA, Mohamed was the Chief of Strategy Execution in the Executive Office of the President.
Mohamed replaces Humphrey Wattanga, who left the authority in April and was nominated as the Kenyan High Commissioner to Canada.
Before Adan’s appointment, KRA appointed Commissioner for Customs and Border Control, Lilian Nyawanda, as the acting Commissioner General
