This archive report was first published on 20 September 2019.
On September 20, 2019, Gershom Otachi, a nominee for the chairmanship of the National Land Commission (NLC), faced allegations of tax evasion during his vetting process by the National Assembly's Lands Committee at County Hall in Nairobi.
Mr. Otachi produced a certificate of tax compliance issued by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) on June 12, 2019, but KRA later provided the committee with documents showing that he had not been paying taxes.
The committee, chaired by Rachael Nyamai, summoned KRA Commissioner General James Mburu to explain the contradicting documents.
Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny raised the issue of Mr. Otachi's tax compliance status, saying, 'There is a memorandum by KRA that you are not tax compliant. What do you have to say because that is a blemish on your integrity.'
Mr. Otachi expressed surprise at the turn of events, saying he had been meeting his tax obligations and had a certificate of compliance to prove it.
He said, 'I have with me my tax compliance certificate issued by KRA. I obtained it on June 12, 2019, when I was applying for this position.'
Former Cabinet Minister Esther Murugi also faced tough questions from the lawmakers, including why she should be considered for a public job at her advanced age, when thousands of young people remain unemployed.
She has been nominated as a commissioner.
Another nominee, Gertrude Nduku Nguku, found herself hard-pressed to explain an anomaly on her Identity Card concerning her date of birth.
The committee had issues with Ms. Nduku's ID, which indicated that she was born on January 1, 1966, while her other documents show she was born on July 11, 1966.
She told the MPs that her actual date of birth is July 11, explaining an error could have been introduced in her ID when she replaced it.
