revenews - Kenya Revenue Authority

revenews
KRA’s in house staff quarterly newsletter Edition No. 21 August 2004
KRA SURPASSES TARGET
Customs & Excise Department which despite a low growth and
performance rate collected kshs. 110,240million against a set
target of kshs. 110,594 million representing a performance rate
of 99.7% and a growth rate of 9.6%.
Releasing the Revenue Report for the Financial Year 2003/04, an
elated Commission General, Michael G. Waweru noted that KRA
had not only exceeded the target set by Treasury by 3.8%, but also
its own corporate target by 1.8%. He attributed this to the favourable
economic conditions and aggre s s i ve implementation of tax
administration reform measures.
Initiatives put in place to enhance revenue collection include;
Commisioner General, Mr M.G. Waweru
announcing Revenue performance
Kenya Revenue Authority has surpassed its
target by collecting a record kshs. 229,276
million against a set target of Kshs. 220,800
million during the Financial Year 2003/04.
This represents a 13.7% growth compared to
last year’s collection of Kshs. 201,699million.
The Road Transport Department recorded
an unprecedented growth rate of 52.2% to
collect a re c o rd of Kshs. 2,160 million
against a target of Kshs. 1,599 million. The
Value Added Tax Department recorded a
growth rate of 21.6% with a collection of
Kshs. 34,667 million against a target of
33,963 million. Income Tax Department
re c o rded a growth rate of 15.4% and
collected Kshs 82,209 million against a
target of Kshs. 74, 644 representing an
impressive performance rate of 110%.
O ve rall the highest collection was by
• Broadening the tax base whereby KRA recruited 33,923 new taxpayers
with a revenue yield of Kshs. 5.3 billion in additional revenue.
• Implementation of withholding of VAT which netted an additional 4,200
taxpayers and collected Kshs.5.2 billion.
•
Additional controls in the petroleum, cigarettes, wines and spirits sub
sectors.
•
Effective and efficient expenditure control procedures.
•
KRA has also strengthened its investigation and enforcement function
by fully integrating it and training officers in various areas including
prosecution.
The revenue performance for the year 2003/04 is summarised in the table below:
Revenue performance FY 2003/04 (Kshs. Million)
Dept
Actual
2004
Target
Treasury
Variance Per rate
Actual
Change
over 2003
CED
110,240
110,594
(345)
99.7%
100,573
9.6%
ITD
82,209
74,644
7,565
110.1%
71,214
15.4%
VATD
34,667
33,963
704
102.1%
28,499
21.6%
RTD
2,160
1,599
561
135.1%
1,413
52.9%
Total
229,276
220,800
8,476
103.8%
201,699
13.7%
• Have You Taken Advantage of The Tax
Amnesty?
• Do You Know the Taxpayers’ week will run from
18th to 23rd October 2004?
Contents page 2
02
editorial
C o nte nts
Cover
KRA surpasses ta rg et
02
Ed ito ri a l
03
From the CG’s desk
04
Tax Amnesty
Tax modern i s ati o n
05
Welcome to yet another edition of our
quarterly in-house newsletter. The
wind of change seems to be blowing
across KRA. The ongoing Revenue
Re form
and
Modernization
programme, which aims at radically
changing our way of doing business,
has already begun to bear fruits. The long queues have subsided, KRA
has more or less disappeared from the Face the Facts page and lately
we have seen more PCs on the desks. The motivational sessions have
also helped lift the spirits of staff members while we brace ourselves
for the better times ahead.
Income Tax Retu rns Fre n z y
Ex p ress
06
07
The reform agenda spearheaded by the Top Management led by
the Commissioner General has necessitated a sensitization
courier services at JKIA programme which has taken the management to our regional
stations which in itself has availed an opportunity to discuss
K R ATI - WCO pertinent issues affecting the authority. What is more
gratifying is the commitment that staff have shown in the
K I FW A / FIATA KRA Tra i n i n g programme by making useful contributions towa rds
reviewing our business processes.
Training in Canada
The Tax Amnesty declared by the Minister for Finance
during this year’s Budget speech has also provided yet
another forum for KRA to re ach out to va r i o u s
News from South e rn re g i o n stakeholders urging them to take advantage of this
opportunity for a fresh start. Workshops have been
UN Monito ring Arms Em b a rg o held in various towns and efforts are being made to
cover the rest of the country in good time. A
Uganda hosts re g i o n a l committee supported by a fully-fledged secretariat is
working on the modalities. Plans are also underway
Fa re w e ll for a much-deserved Taxpayers Week scheduled for
18th –23rd October 2004. This will be an occasion
Gender Viole n c e to say thank you to compliant taxpayers, bring on
board eligible ones, create awareness and also
S e rvice th rough pra y e r enhance compliance.
08
News from Centra l
09
10
12
14
15
16
H a d ithi Hadith i
17
18
Editorial Team
19
Lucy Njoe - SAC - Southern Region
20
Creck Buyonge - SAC - Operations
Maureen Njongo - SAC - Customer Care
Jeddy Ochuodho - AC - DTD
Salma Bashir - AC - RTD
21
22
23
James Oiko - AC - C&E
John Kipkosgei - PRO - Hqs
Julie Onyuka - PRO - DTD
Kendi Kinuthia - PRO - Hqs
Maximilla Onyango - Design & layout
Back to the newsletter, it is humbling to note
that we do have very talented writers in our
H u m o u r midst. Read about their experiences in far away
places and nearer home - all that it takes to
H u m u o r look busy! Suffice it to say that over the years
the newsletter has grown tremendously in
U n leaded Fu e l terms of scope and readership. In this regard
I wish to pay tribute to Creck Buyonge and
W a lking for hunger Maureen Njongo for their contribution. We
also hope to hear more from Southern
M o b i le scanner Region where we have strengthened the
Corporate & Public affairs section with the
C h a n g e appointment of a Senior Assistant
Commissioner - Lucy Njoe. And for me to
C lass of 2004 Gra d u ates come back to this column was like
homecoming because this is where I started
C u stoms dete ctor Dog with the first edition way back in 1998.
S e c uti ry
24
En c o u raging Cre ati v ity
A p p lying for Visa
Finally I would like to appeal to all staff
members to contribute articles for the
newsletter. Doing so will not only enrich
this publication but will give us an
opportunity to share our experiences on
issues affecting our lives. Hope you enjoy
reading it.
Welcome!
Fatma S. Yusuf - Managing Editor
from the CG’s desk
At the launch of our Corporate Plan in February this year, KRA
p romised that with implementation of the various tax
administration measures, we would surpass the revenue targets
g i ven us by the Government. The unprecedented revenue
performance for the 2003/2004 Financial Year is evidence that with
good planning and commitment to achieving our vision - to be the
leading revenue authority in the world, respected fo r
professionalism, integrity and fairness – we can achieve what we
set out to do. For the record, we raised Kshs. 229, 276 million
against a target of Kshs. 220, 800 million, thus surpassing the target
by Kshs. 8, 476 million.
03
Message
security of the state. This edition of our in-house newsletter has
highlighted some of these initiatives, such as the signing of a
M e m o randum of Understanding with the World Customs
Organization to make the KRA Training Institute a WCO East and
Southern Africa Regional Training Centre.
KRA has now taken delivery of the mobile container scanner, which
is now operational at Kilindini. The fixed scanner should be
delivered within the next few months. This will significantly improve
our capacity to inspect goods, thus faster clearance of cargo.
As we celebrate our performance, it is good to remember that this
is part of a bigger picture of surpassing the targets set in each
objective of the four perspectives of our Balanced Score Card i.e.
s u r passing revenue targets at least cost, promoting good
relationships with our stakeholders, continuous improvement of
our internal processes for enhanced quality service delivery, and
development of a professional and well-motivated staff.
KRA’s current IT infrastructure is not adequate to support our lofty
aspirations, within the context of overall e-governance programme.
For proper coordination of government functions and services in an
automated environment (e-governance), we need open systems
with the capacity to network with client systems. We are already
m oving fo r wa rd in this area, fo l l owing approval of our
recommendation to ac q u i re the Senegalese Customs system
(GAINDE 2000) and its Electronic Data Interchange component
(ORBUS) on a government-to-government basis.
I would like to express my personal appreciation, and the
appreciation of all our management and the Board, for the efforts
you put in to enable us achieve this performance. We know that
human re s o u rces are our most valued asset. It is there fo re
important for us to ensure that staff are reasonably rewarded, that
they have good opportunities for personal and pro fe s s i o n a l
development, and that they are given the tools and equipment
required to perform to the highest standards possible.
Clearing and forwarding agents and private sector representative
bodies have raised complaints regarding delays in cargo clearance
for many years. However, there has been no study to measure the
time it takes for goods to be cleared. In July, with the assistance of
the World Bank and World Customs Organization, a Time Release
Study began, focussing on five customs stations in the country
including Kilindini Port. We are awaiting the results of the study,
which is being conducted for the first time in Africa.
For this reason, management and the Board proposed, and the
Minister for Finance approved, payment of a 13th Month salary to
all staff in July in appreciation of the good performance. Payment of
the 13th Month salary to all staff reflects our commitment to team
work and desire to have all staff make their fair contribution in
ac h i eving our corporate objectives. We continue to explore
opportunities for training in tax and tax administration support
services such as management skills development and specialised
courses such as computer-aided audit techniques. Some new
computers and motor vehicles have been procured this financial
year, which we have planned to distribute to the areas where they
are most critically needed.
At the same time, KRA received two missions from the International
Monetary Fund early in the year. These missions built upon the
work done in February by a mission conducted by the Foreign
Investment Advisory Service, an arm of the World Bank. The
missions validated the observations made by stakeholders and staff
re g a rding our pro g ress in enhancing revenue collection and
balancing this against other national objectives, integration of
functions, and acquisition of the required skills, equipment and
other resources for an organization with the vision to be the leading
revenue authority in the world respected for professionalism,
integrity and fairness.
We thank you for the patience and support you have demonstrated
as we move on to implement our reform and modernization
programme. It is important for us to sustain the improvements we
h ave seen in the area of integrity, one of our core values.
Implementation of and overall direction for the Public Sector
Integrity Pro g ramme (PSIP) has now been put under the
Commissioner for Support Services, and an overall strategy on
integrity and anti-corruption is under development. This will build
on what has already been achieved under PSIP, and will be informed
by international best practice in line with our vision.
The profile of KRA has continued to improve at the national level,
as we firmly take up our responsibilities in collecting revenue,
facilitating trade and investment and safeguarding national security
among other functions. Having identified one of the weaknesses in
implementation of the previous Corporate Plan (2000/2001 –
2002/2003) as too much focus on revenue at the expense of other
responsibilities, KRA has intensified efforts at promoting good
relationships with our stakeholders.
For this reason, we have participated in investment conferences and
helped promote Kenya as a choice investment destination. We have
also been part of national, regional and international initiatives to
reduce barriers to the unhindered movement of persons,
conveyances and goods across borders, without jeopardizing the
Integration of the income tax and VAT departments into the
Domestic Taxes Department is underway, to facilitate sharing of
information, expertise and intelligence for better efficiency, and to
provide quality service to our clients. This is part of the broad
reform and modernization agenda, whose fruits we have began to
reap. We are encouraging you to keep focussed on our vision, and
remain committed to our core values, so that we can play our part
in ensuring economic growth for Kenya.
We are also deeply aware of our responsibilities in the region. In
April, the revenue authorities of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and
Rwanda signed quadrilateral Memorandum of Understanding for
the sharing of information and intelligence, and technical
assistance within the mandate of the organizations in question.
Last year, in collaboration with our Ugandan and Tanzanian
counterparts, we began consultations focussing on measures to
stamp out smuggling and facilitate cross-border trade through joint
border controls. These initiatives have received the support of the
World Bank, the US Agency for International Development and the
Transport Transit Coordination Authority of the Northern Corridor.
In terms of collaboration in training, KRATI has now trained three
groups from Rwanda Revenue Authority in a programme supported
by the UK Department for International Development (DfID).
Collaboration between the revenue authorities is continuous, since
Continued on page 4
04
News
Continued from page 3
there is a lot to learn from one another. At the same time, we are
learning from other organizations like the Canada Revenue Agency
and the Canada Border Services Agency.
KRA recognizes that human resources are our most important
asset, and we are therefore committed to meet the development
and motivation needs of our staff. We are taking a number of
initiatives in pursuance of this objective. Firstly, the KRA Board has
given approval for implementation of a policy to harmonize salaries
to take account of seniority and years of service. Secondly, a
proposal providing for a well-defined career structure for all cadres
of staff is under development. Thirdly, we are putting in place a
policy on hiring of casual employees, covering such issues as
authority to hire, duration, wages and conditions of service. Finally,
we have developed a framework for the retention of employees
beyond the retirement age (55 years) on a limited and selective
basis for proper succession planning and development of the
remaining staff.
This financial year, the government has given us a target of
collecting Kshs. 240 billion. We cannot rest on our laurels after
collecting a surplus of Kshs. 8, 476 million last financial year, but
must keep on improving on all fronts. We have given ourselves a
higher target in the knowledge that we shall achieve it with
determination and discipline – Kshs. 260 billion. If you think this is
an unachievable dream, you are wrong, very wrong. We have
already surpassed our revenue targets for July and August, and we
are sure to surpass them in September. If anyone still thinks this is
unachievable, let him or her wait to hear the Performance for the
1st Quarter of the 2004/2005 financial year, in October.
We are on track as we seek to be the leading revenue authority in
the world respected for professionalism, integrity and fairness and
we want everyone to come along. Let us do our best in improving
our skills and competencies to enable us operate in an automated
environment, for better service to our clients.
TAX AMNESTY
Minister for Finance, Hon David Mwiraria has announced a Tax
Amnesty, during the 2004/2005 Budget Speech. The amnesty
will lapse on 31st December 2004.
amnesty would be required to:
The amnesty covers penalties or fines under the Customs &
Excise Act (Cap 472); additional tax, penalties or fines under the
Value Added Tax Act (Cap 476); penalties and interest under the
Income Tax Act (Cap 470).
•
In a public notice issued by KRA, members of the public have
been urged to take advantage of the Amnesty to declare
voluntarily taxes owed over a period not exceeding seven years.
All that a taxpayer would be re q u i red to is to make an
application at the nearest KRA office where officers will be able
to advice them on the guidelines. In addition Taxpayers seeking
•
•
Submit any relevant documents or returns in respect of the
dutiable goods or services.
Pay to the relevant Commissioner tax due before 11th June,
2004.
Submit returns or amended returns containing previously
undisclosed income for any year of income ending on or
before 31st December 2003.
Taxpayers have been assured that no Penalty or Fines shall be
imposed where duty is paid in full on or before 31st December
2004. No queries either, will be raised on voluntary disclosure
of duty and a letter confirming grant of amnesty will be issued.
KRA Reform & Modernisation Project
Kenya Revenue Authority has embarked on a programme
aimed at modernising its operations so as to provide quality
service to all its stakeholders, streamline revenue collection
and facilitate trade. This is line with KRA’s 2nd Corporate
Plan and also recommendations contained in an IMF report
on Customs Reform and Modernisation and Integrating and
The CRM team in Southern Region holding discussions with
Deputy Commissioner - SR Mr Evelia
strengthening Tax Administration.
Commissioner General, Michael G. Waweru, who is also the
overall sponsor of the project has established a detailed
governance structure to spearhead efficient coordination of
reforms in the authority. There will be five distinct divisions,
four of which will headed by Commissioners who also double
up as project owners. These are departments of Road
Transport, Customs & Excise, Domestic Taxes and Office
functions. Project managers at the level of Deputy
Commissioners and above will assist them. The fifth will
consist of the Project Coordination Team headed by the SDCR&RCP.
Project owners are expected to provide leadership and
strategic direction in liaison with the Commissioner General.
Project teams chaired by project managers have already
been put in place and work has started. Basically what the
re form and modernisation project entails is to rev i ew
business procedures and identify best practices with a view
to automating them.
05
News
INCOME TAX RETURNS FRENZY
By Julie A. Onyuka
Why do Kenyans like to wait for deadlines, is the Million-dollar question?
Gaining from experience that the Income tax Department went through last year during Income Tax returns exercise, in
addition to the long queues outside Times Tower at this time of the year, elaborate measures were put in place to ensure
that taxpayers are not inconvenienced.
Seven weeks to the 30th June deadline, eight extra centres were set up solely as collection and drop off points for Income
Tax return forms. These included leading supermarkets at all major roads leading in and out of the Central Business District
and KICC for town dwellers. This was to avoid the congestion that was experienced last year when this exercise was all
centralised in Times Tower.
Our very competent members of staff manned these centres from Monday to Saturdays for the entire period to make it as
convenient as possible for our taxpayers to get access this services. Kudos to all technical staff for the tireless hours put in
especially towards the close of the exercise where we were serving up to 45,000 clients a day.
Despite extensive publicity undertaken to sensitise the public on the requirement to file returns on time, there was an
overwhelming turnout on the closing day. Of course we can’t forget to mention the difficulties our clients experience in
trying to fill these forms. Think about this, a good number of KRA employees cannot fill their own returns, we say it’s too
difficult, so you can imagine what a vegetable seller would go through. Do you know anything, we should do differently to
achieve even better results?
EXPRESS COURIER SERVICES AT JKIA NAIROBI
By Mark Wanjala Barasa JKIA
Courier Services are a thriving business. Most people prefer to ship urgent documents, reports, spare parts etc. using these
services. Trade goods are also coming vide courier especially the ones on order/ Tender. The advantage is that a customer
is able to receive the imported item within 48 hours from America and 24 hours from Europe. Unless held for payment of
duties, the item will be delivered right at the customer’s door within the guaranteed time. The Customer is also able to
track the item on the Website of a given Company.
DHL and Courier Centre are the two companies that currently offer these services at JKIA. Due to increased business, the
Customs & Excise Department created a section known COURIER SERVICES headed by a Revenue Officer.
Started as a pilot project the customs office in DHL facility is in essence a ‘Longroom’. It receives, pools, and processes
documents. DHL Staff make Data entry into Customs system from their office online. They give a pool number and enter
details of the shipment. This makes it easy for Revenue Officers who counter check the accuracy of the information and
then pass the entry. The cashiers confirm the payment and then the goods are released. DHL courier accounts for about
15% of total collection at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport- Collectorate.
Courier Centre is a facility set up to cater for other Courier Companies, Initially it was at the Baggage Hall, but because of
the need to streamline operations it was moved to KENYA AIRFREIGHT HANDLING LIMITED [KAHL] Terminal. The facility
is run by Kenya Airways’ Cargo Division.
Some of the Courier Companies that actively do business at Courier Centre include, FEDEX, TNT, UPS, Globalfreight, One
World Courier, OCS, BKB and Tradewinds. This Courier Centre accounts for 1% of total Revenue collections at JKIA.
06
Tra i n i n g
KRATI RECOGNISED AS WCO TRAINING CENTRE
By James Oiko
Kenya Revenue Authority Training Centre better known as KRATI was endorsed officially as a WCO regional training centre
during WCO Eastern and Southern region annual Customs Heads meeting held in Kampala recently.
As the Regional Vice Chair, Kenya had made a proposal for KRATI to be recognised as a WCO training Centre. A formal
Memorandum of Understanding signed between the World Customs Organisation and the Kenya Revenue Authority
establishing KRATI as a WCO Regional Training Centre. Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner General, Mr. M.G. Waweru
and the WCO Secretary General, Mr. Michel Danet, signed the MOU.
With the signing of the MOU, WCO will be able to use the facilities of the training centre for purposes of Regional training,
technical assistance meetings and other Customs related events. This will provide an opportunity for local experts to train in
capacity building programmes.
KRA will continue to run the training Centre but will avail facilities, which include class/meeting rooms, and accommodation
for use by WCO.
According to the WCO Director of Tariff and Trade Affairs Mr. Chriticles Mwansa, The WCO Strategic Plan for 2003-2006 and
the WCO capacity Building strategy and Diagnostic framework have adopted a strategy of prioritising a regional approach
to Capacity Building.
The meeting was also attended by the host country Uganda. URA Commissioner of Customs and Excise Mrs. Allen Kagina
proposed to the workshop that capacity building should focus on a clear definition of needs by least developed and
developing countries.
The meeting was officially opened by Uganda’s Finance and Economic Planning Minister Hon. Gerald Sendaula.
Meanwhile Kenya Revenue Authority has been facilitating training in other Revenue Authorities. According to Mr. Simeon
Ominde of Central Region Longroom they have been offering Valuation technical assistance to Eritrea in October 2003 and
to Rwanda in 2004. KRA has also provided consultancy in drafting of COMESA/ Customs Valuation training module, which
was submitted for approval in June 2004.
KIFWA TEAMS UP WITH KRA IN FIATA
TRAINING PROJECT
Mr. Joseph K. Ng’etich, KIFWA National Chairman
The Kenya International Freight & Warehousing Association (KIFWA) is working with Kenya Revenue Authority in
implementing an International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) project to offer world-class logistics
training to customs agents in Kenya, a first in Africa.
Speaking at the preparatory meeting for the two-week course to be run from 26th July to 6th August 2004, the KIFWA
National Chairman Mr. Joseph K. Ng’etich (pictured) said the partnership marked the beginning of a process of developing a
pool of professional logistics experts in Kenya.
He congratulated KRA for signing the Memorandum of Understanding for establishment of the KRA Training Institute in
Mombasa, and noted that Kenya had the potential of becoming the leading country in Africa in terms of logistics and
customs training.
The FIATA Training of Trainers (TOT) course participants are drawn from KIFWA member organizations, and partner
organizations such as KRA, Kenya Ports Authority and the Kenya Bureau of Standards. Mr. Simeon Ominde, a seasoned
customs trainer, is expected to be a facilitator in some of the sessions. KIFWA has offered to have four officers from the
Customs & Excise Department participate in the TOT course, to create more synergies between KIFWA and KRA.
07
Tra i n i n g
WHAT I LEARNT LAST WINTER
By Kevin Safari
Kevin with senior officers of CBSA Origin
and Valuation Division in Ottawa, Canada.
Set in the countryside expanse between Ott awa and
Montreal, sits the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
Training Centre at Rigaud. This modern complex was the site
for an exciting two week Valuation Case Study Module II
Course. The training was a comprehensive hands-on audit
session, which ran from 19th to 30th January 2004, right in
the middle of one of Canada’s harshest winters, where
temperatures reached –40 Celsius.
The course trainers were Mr. Byron Fitzgerald, a vibrant
Valuation Audit Advisor, and Mrs. Joan Lovell Kristoferson, a
Customs Verification Officer. The pair of experts took
pa r t i c i pants through the entire process of a Customs
valuation audit from preliminary planning to on-site and
post-visit activities.
The Valuation Case Study was conducted on the activities of
a fictional compa ny, M/s EverSports Canada Inc., and
focused on the importation of golf shoes, clubs and gloves
from EverPro Corporation in the United States of America
(USA). The main objective of the exercise was to ascertain
the price paid or payable on the imports for purposes of
determining the values for duty on the various items.
The case study began with the analysis of a letter of
complaint from ProSwing Limited, whose President felt that
EverSports Canada Inc. was seriously undercutting their
market by being able to offer low unrealistic prices – an issue
familiar with most Kenyan manufacturers.
The trainees then embarked on analysis of the information
and documents from internal/external research, such as
FIRM (Facility for Information Retrieval Management) report,
valuation targeting paper, the Internet and import entries.
The FIRM report is the equivalent of our BOFFIN importer
summary, and shows details of importers’ transactions; such
as HS codes, items imported, import entry number and value
for duty of the imports, among others. From this report, an
officer can determine the magnitude of importations and
where to focus for audit purposes. Among potential issues
identified were price influence, royalties and sales for export.
Participants also analysed the accounts in the trial balance to
determine the nature of each expense and the possibility of
value-for-duty issues in these accounts. The exercise helped
make a preliminary determination of which accounts would
be tested. Having perused the various information sources,
participants embarked on preparing the agenda for the
opening interview. The audit-planning memorandum was
p re pa red at this stage. We we re then shown a video
presentation of the opening interview. Issues identified for
discussion concerned the price paid or payable, sale for
export, Article 8 adjustments, record keeping and internal
controls as well as transfer pricing, among others. This was
followed by a discussion on a tour of the company premises.
The session invo l ved the identification of where the
importation processes take place in the compa ny, the
potential
valuation
issues
and
the
type
of
ev i d e n c e / i n formation that may be available in these
locations.
The valuation methods of the gloves, shoes and clubs were
analysed. The methods applied we re Tra n s action value,
Transaction value of identical goods, and Deductive value.
Samples of entries were analysed and traced to the books of
accounts. Of importance were the supporting documents for
the sample entries.
The next step was the calculation of the appropriate value
for duty by analysing the general ledger of EverSports
Canada Inc. for any possible additions or deductions to the
price paid or payable. Here we focused on commissions,
royalties and subsequent proceeds.
After the calculation of duties and taxes to be paid, then
came the closing interview. This session was held in plenary
and pa r t i c i pants did a role-play in deliberating on the
contentious issues arising from the verification audit.
The seminar came to a cordial end with the award of
certificates, and it was with heavy hearts that we parted in
various directions to go and practice improved valuation
audits. Later in the afternoon, I savo u red the wintry
countryside as we rode in a friend’s car to Ottawa. It was
considerably warm at –20 Celsius, and I marvelled at the level
of development given the harsh conditions here.
Kevin Safari was in Canada for a Customs Valuation Audit
Course early this year - seen here testing -40°C temperatures.
08
News
NEWS FROM CENTRAL REGION
Mr. Wilfred Oke mwa was appointed the Ag. Deputy
Commissioner Central Region in February 2004. A father of
three children (two girls ages 23, 20 and a boy of 15), Mr.
Okemwa is a graduate of the University of Nairobi (B.Ed
Hons., Dip. Bus. Mgt). He has previously worked in the
Income Tax and Road Transport Departments before his
current posting as the Ag. Deputy Commissioner (Central).
Prior to his current posting, he worked at the Road Transport
Department (Southern Region) having set up the Southern
Region RTD office in January 1999. During his five years at
the station, the revenue collected by the department rose
from Kshs. 1 million per month to Kshs. 40 million per month
at the time of departure.
He attributes these gains to a number of measures taken by
the department to streamline revenue collection, including
c reating more counters for licencing and re g i s t ration,
introduction of computerized cash receipting, and cracking
down on fraudulent issuance of fake licences and receipts.
At the Southern Region, he learnt to work in collaboration
with other revenue departments, as well as external
stakeholders. He said that lessons learnt from such contacts
are key to the strategies we have devised to establish
synergies across the different revenue departments in terms
of joint programmes, utilization of resources, and a common
approach to taxpayer education.
Since assuming office in Central Region a number of tax
clinics have been carried out, with a very good impact
especially in Thika. A number of lessons have been learnt:
(a) The public is not receiving crucial information to
facilitate voluntary compliance, especially regarding the
requirements for transfer of vehicles, renewals of licences,
and penalties applicable. Business people need information
on computation of PAYE and business income, how to keep
proper books and records, etc to better comply with income
tax and VAT laws. Therefore, a more targeted taxpayer
education strategy is required.
(b) KRA has the goodwill and cooperation of the provincial
ad m i n i s t ration and law enfo rcement agencies. This
cooperation needs to be enhanced and nurtured to achieve
better synergies between KRA initiatives and those of other
government agencies.
(c) Communication with our internal and external
stakeholders is important. We need a system that
encourages more sharing of information, especially across
departments.
Okemwa contents that one of the challenges in Murang’a
and Nyahururu is payment of ad vance tax. “We have
therefore recommended that satellite offices be opened in
Kiambu, Murang’a, Nanyuki and Maragwa to make it easier
for taxpayers to comply. For example, it is not easy for a
person from Nyahururu to go all the way to Nakuru to pay
advance tax, thus making it more tempting to evade.”
Finally, he says that the motivation of staff in outstations is
sometimes too low. “We therefore have a responsibility to
encourage the staff to do their part in making KRA a truly
world-class organization.”
E-Mail: okemwa@swiftkenya.com
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION: A VIEW FROM SOUTHERN REGION
By Margaret Cidi (Southern Region)
The profile of the Corporate and Public Affairs Department
in Southern Region is increasing day by day, and there is need
for continued free and frank discussions on various issues
concerning the organization.
However, it’s better to put down whatever
concerns staff may have in writing, because it
requires a person to take up the initiative and
start somewhere.
For example, it is possible that there are
issues that require follow up by the Corporate
and Public Affairs Department. How would
we do this unless someone gives us his or her
story? Doing so would mean important issues are not
forgotten. We are therefore appealing for staff to give us
their views and suggestions in writing, so that we can give
you satisfactory answers.
We appreciate the fact that most officers attended the staff
motivation seminars facilitated by Mr. Kennedy Hongo. We
thank the Commissioner General for this initiative, and
request that such seminars may be brought more often to
the region. Staff were encouraged and learned a
lot from the seminars.
Southern region is very busy, yet we must give
attention to team-building initiatives so that we
can improve our performance and attain good
results. Let’s all work together with one goal and
increase revenue collection.
I believe we are the best and will always remain
the best. We do not need to fear our managers;
we should be free to walk into their offices any time, and our
problems will be addressed in the right way at the right time.
Remember we are not supposed to fear them. We should
respect them. With the proper attitudes and perception, we
can work hard and improve revenue collection because we
are the best of the best.
09
News
UN MONITORING GROUP ON
SOMALIA ARMS EMBARGO
By Creck Buyonge
Two experts from the United Nations Monitoring Group on
Somalia, Mr. Changsheng Li (from China, a customs expert)
and Mr. Joel Salek (from Colombia, a finance expert) visited
KRA in early July as part of their activities to monitor the
extent of violations on an arms embargo imposed on the
country by UN Security Council Resolution 133 of 1992.
Mr. Li and Mr. Salek met with Mr. Gabriel Kitenga (Ag. Senior
Deputy Commissioner, CED Hqs), Mrs. Rose W. Namu (Ag.
Senior Deputy Commissioner, Southern Region), Mr. Kennedy
Bisonga (Head of the WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison
Office for East and Southern Africa) and Mr. Isaac Mwangi
(Ag. Principal Revenue Officer, JKIA).
Mr. Mwangi spent three years at Liboi on the Kenya-Somalia
border, so he has practical knowledge on what it means to
work as a customs officer in such stations. Some of the
challenges for customs in controlling movement of goods,
conveyances and persons on the Somalia border include the
long, porous border, lack of communication and transport
facilities, electricity, zero automation, meaning that even email communication is impossible unless one uses a satellite
phone.
The experts briefed the KRA team on their mandate, and
what customs could do in enforcing the embargo. UNSEC
Resolution No. 1474 (2003) indicates that the mandate of the
panel includes investigation of violations of the arms
embargo covering access to Somalia by land, air and sea;
assessing the capacity of States in the region to implement
fully the arms embargo, including through a review of
national customs and border control regimes; and ongoing
arms embargo violations, including transfers of ammunition,
single use weapons, and small arms.
In 1989, civil war broke out in Somalia following growing
discontent with the regime of President Mohammed Siad
Barre. He was deposed in 1991, and the country descended
further into anarchy as inter-clan warfare ensued, leading to
further destruction of the fragile infra s t r u c t u re and
worsening a famine crisis that had engulfed the country. The
severity of the crisis was exacerbated by the large stockpile of
weapons and ammunition within the country
Imposition of the emba rgo in 1992 gave way to the
deployment of UN peacekeeping forces to Somalia in 1993.
Unfortunately, the forces were drawn into protracted conflict
with the Somali National Alliance, so that when they
withdrew in March 1995, the country still remained divided
without a central government. Some of the most enduring
memories of the UN peace enforcement operation in Somalia
are pictures of US soldiers being dragged along Mogadishu
s t reets, painful memories that led the international
community to abandon Somalia to its own devices until 2002.
Previous panels of experts since 2002 have commended
Kenya for her role in managing the Inter-Governmental
Authority on Development (IGAD) peace initiatives, while
lambasting other countries for flagrantly violating the arms
embargo. In April 2003, the UNSEC said, “the continued flow
of weapons to the country severely undermined peace and
political efforts at national reconciliation,” and commitments
made at the Nairobi Conference on Small Arms and Light
Weapons (2000).
A report published by the UN in early November 2003 on the
Somalia arms embargo warned that persistent violations of
the ban had allowed “transnational terrorists to obtain arms
and equipment including light anti-tank weapons and
explosives from Somalia.”
The report claimed that weapons obtained from Somalia had
been used in an attack on Paradise Hotel, Mombasa in late
November 2002, and the near simultaneous but unsuccessful
attack on an Israeli jet after it took off from Mombasa en
route to Tel Aviv.
The two shoulder-fired SA-7B missiles fired at the Israeli
plane were reportedly delivered to Somalia from Yemen
before being smuggled by sea to Kenya in August 2002, the
report said. In March 2003, an alleged cell member was
captured by Somali gunmen and handed over to US officials.
The World Customs Organization (WCO), inter-governmental
organization linking customs ad m i n i s t rations in 162
countries that are responsible for 98% of world trade, passed
the Resolution on Security and Facilitation of the
International Trade Supply Chain in June 2002. This
resolution recognized that most consignments are carried as
containerised cargo, and noted the vulnerability of such
cargo to terrorist attacks. In addition, it was important to
review security and facilitation procedures to ensure that
heightened security concerns did not end up hindering the
movement of legitimate trade.
More recently, the WCO in its June 2004 Council Sessions
adopted a new resolution that among other things,
established a High Level Strategic Group of Commissioners of
Customs to help steer the international customs community
to adequately respond to the challenges of the current
environment. These Resolutions require customs agencies to
c o o p e rate with other government agencies and other
stakeholders for the purpose of safeguarding national
security.
10
WCO
UGANDA HOSTS KEY WCO REGIONAL MEETING
By Creck Buyonge & Penny Simba
Customs administrations in the WCO East and Southern Africa
region have established a Regional Steering Group (RSG) with
specific terms of re fe rence to provide a structure fo r
implementation of decisions made at the annual heads of
customs conferences and champion adoption of WCO global
standards at the national level.
(c) The need for customs administrations (at the national and
regional level) to apply WCO instruments and best practices,
and proactively participate in the global customs community as
equal partners in the promotion of international trade and
p rotection of national and global security among other
functions.
The RSG shall act under the overall direction of the Regional
Vice Chairperson and the Heads of Customs Conference with
ad m i n i s t ra t i ve support provided by the Regional Vice
Chairperson. Two RSG meetings are env i s aged, one in
September 2004, and another one two days prior to the 10th
WCOESA Heads of Customs Conference (April/May 2005).
Mr. Chriticles Mwansa, the WCO Director of Tariff and Trade
Affairs represented the Secretary General. Representatives from
the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
(COMESA), and the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) Small Arms Reduction Programme in the Great Lakes
Region and Horn of Africa participated as observers.
This decision was made at the 9th WCO East and Southern
Africa Heads of Customs Conference held at Kampala’s Speke
Hotel, Munyonyo on the 9th and 10th of June, only a few days to
the annual WCO Policy Commission and Council Sessions (23rd
to 26th June 2004). The theme of the conference was From
Policy to Effective Implementation.
Other Key Decisions
Preparatory Committee
A Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) of managers responsible
for policy and strategy in their re s p e c t i ve customs
administrations met two days in advance of the Conference
under the chairmanship of Kenya as the Regional Vice Chair.
Members of the PrepCom were drawn from Kenya, Lesotho,
Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the
WCO E/SA RILO.
Apart from lack of a structure for implementation, delegates
identified weak or non-existent monitoring and implementation
mechanisms, and poor communication as the key drawbacks to
the proper functioning of the WCO regional framework in the
East and Southern Africa region.
Speaking at the official opening of the conference, Uganda’s
Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Hon. Gera l d
Sendaula recognized the significant contribution of customs in
mobilizing domestic re s o u rces to meet gove r n m e n t
expenditure. “I know the importance of customs first-hand, as a
long-serving Minister for Finance,” he said.
The Regional Vice Chairperson, Mr. Francis Thuranira (Kenya)
noted that from the last four annual conferences, various
themes issues have emerged that require to be addressed,
namely:
(a) The need to spearhead and manage genuine positive change
in customs administrations at the national level (involving
integrity development, use of information technology for trade
facilitation, enhancement of revenue and compilation of trade
statistics among other functions, capacity building, etc.);
(b) The need for customs administrations to be individually and
severally more engaged in regional processes (at the level of the
African Union, and within economic blocs) as a contribution to
broad national and regional economic development objectives;
and
Integrity. It was agreed at the conference that Members would
appoint National Contact Persons on integrity to facilitate
c o o rdination of the regional integrity agenda with
Mozambique. Secondly, Members agreed to adopt the WCO
Integrity Development Guide as the basis for their integrity
promotion and anti-corruption programmes. A page dedicated
to integrity would be developed in the regional web site.
Regional Communication. It was also agreed that South Africa
would facilitate regular updating of information on the regional
web site, while Kenya would be the Regional Web Editor in
addition to setting up a virtual newsletter. The two countries
ag reed to collaborate in developing and implementing a
strategy to publicize and encourage greater utilization of the
web site as a tool for information sharing. To facilitate
discussion on policy and technical issues and disseminate best
practices, Members agreed to form virtual working groups.
Training and Capacity Building. The conference agreed that
Members would appoint National Contact Persons to liaise with
the Regional Training Coordinator (Uganda) in coordination of
training and capacity building. A data bank of local expertise in
customs policy and technical issues will be established to ensure
optimum utilization of regional expertise. Finally, Members
endorsed recognition of the Kenya Revenue Authority Training
Institute (KRATI) as a WCO Regional Training Centre.
Mutual Administrative Assistance. It was agreed that Members
who have not yet acceded to the Johannesburg Convention
would take steps to expedite accession, while continuing to
exploit other WCO instruments providing for signing of
Memoranda of Understanding (MoU).
Customs and NePAD. The African Union Ministers responsible
for Trade, Customs and Immigration established a SubCommittee of Customs comprising all the Heads of Customs
Administrations in Africa at the meeting held from 27th to 28th
May 2004 in Kigali, Rwanda. The sub-committee is responsible
for provision of relevant advice on customs related matters. It
was agreed that Members would seek to build synergies with
relevant regional and international organizations for sharing of
resources and expertise in areas relevant to customs.
11
WCO
9th WCO - E&SA Heads of customs
Annual Conference, Speke Resort, Munyonyo, Uganda
P a r t i c i pation in WCO Programmes. Members ag reed to
effectively and efficiently participate in WCO programmes. To
facilitate this, meetings of the RSG have been scheduled in such
a manner that heads of customs administrations would benefit
f rom detailed discussions on the agenda of the Po l i c y
Commission sessions prior to such meetings. In addition, the
Regional Vice Chair would work closely with Members to ensure
adequate representation of the region in WCO meetings.
Global Information and Intelligence Strategy. The Conference
approved the Recommendation of the 2nd WC O E SA RILO
National Contacts Meeting held at Port Louis, Mauritius in
October 2003. This provides a framework for collaboration
between the WCO Secretariat, RILO and Members, and clarifies
the roles of each party. An Agreement was signed between the
Kenya Customs administration and the WCO for Kenya to
continue hosting the WCO East and Southern Africa RILO.
Harmonised Systems & Pro c e d u re s . The Revised Kyo t o
Convention was recognized as a key tool for trade facilitation,
important in improving the competitiveness of the economies
of countries in the WCOESA region, apart from supporting
other key areas of customs like integrity and partnerships
between customs and other stakeholders. It was therefore
agreed that the WCOESA region would develop a detailed
strategy and action plan for implementation of the Revised
Kyoto Convention in all the countries in the region. This would
be done in tandem with initiatives to encourage Members who
have not acceded to the Convention to do so.
Conclusion
Pa r t i c i pation at the 9th WCO East and Southern Africa
Conference was a good experience, as delegates were able to
grapple with the issues affecting customs at the regional and
global level, and together chart a way forward.
Funding. It was observed that identifying funding for customs
projects, including automation and procurement of scanning
equipment was a problem for many Members. It was therefore
ag reed that the Regional Financial Re p re s e n t a t i ve
(Mozambique) would conduct a regional feasibility study to
determine different financing options for customs pro j e c t s
within the region, and assess regional needs and requirements
for each financial year. Possibilities of obtaining funding from
regional and international organizations would also be explored.
In addition, Members would make contributions in cash or kind
towards funding regional projects, e.g. for training and other
capacity building initiatives.
Thirteen (13) out of the 21 countries in the region attended the
meeting, including 10 director generals of customs. The RSG has
its work cut out, as the region needs to formulate a general
strategy to guide its programmes in the medium to long term,
as well as a Capacity Building Strategy to address capacity
building issues from a regional perspective.
At the closing ceremony, Uganda’s Commissioner for Customs
and Excise Mrs. Allen Kagina accurately captured the spirit of
the meeting, when she talked of the professionalism that had
characterized the meeting while calling for the RSG to
continually aspire towards higher standards.
Note
Creck Buyonge (Senior Assistant Commissioner – Operations,
Kenya Revenue Authority) and Penny Simba (Senior Principal
Revenue Officer, Uganda Revenue Authority) participated at the
Preparatory Co m m i ttee, and are members of the Regional
Steering Group (RSG).
12
Fa re w e ll
KRA Bids
KRA formally bid farewell to the outgoing Board of
Directors and at the same time welcomed the incoming
board.
Speaking at a colourful ceremony held in honour of the
outgoing board, Mr Lenny M. J Mwangola, Chairman,
B oa rd of Directors thanked the outgoing boa rd for
realizing its vision of revamping the KRA tra i n i n g
Institute. He said that the Institute has acquired the
envisaged regional status.
The chairman also added that the outgoing board played
a pivotal role in interg rating KRA’s operation. The
successful relocation to Times Tower testifies this fact.
This, he said aimed at enhancing tax administration.
Outgoing Chairman Mr. Benjamin Kipkulei and
former Commissioner General John Munge
having a tet-a-tet at the reception.
At the ceremony, Mr. Mwangola also thanked the out
going board for managing to harmonise salaries of all the
employees there by eliminating the contentious
disparities that had been in existence then.
Attorney General Amos Wako (left), Commissioner
General Mr. Micheal Waweru (centre) and
Commissioner of Income Tax Jack Ranguma.
Chairman of The KRA Board Mr. Lenny Mwangola
addressing the outgoing and incoming Board
Members.
Outgoing Board Member Walter Mukuria and
former Board Secretary Ms. Helen A. Bila.
Incoming Board Member Mr. Hosea Kipkemboi,
Commissioner of Customs & Excise Francis
Thuranira, Senior Deputy Commissioners (MIS)
Ezekiel Saina and (VAT) Philip Odeny.
Farewell
13
Fa re w e ll
to the former board
Ac k n owledging that KRA’s core business is revenue
collection, the chairman challenged the new board of
directors to ensure that revenue targets are not only
achieved but are also surpassed. He expressed his trust in
the incoming board and believed that it has what it takes
to attain these objectives.
He challenged the new board to come up with policy
guidelines that would ensure the attainment of a unitary
corporate culture within the Authority.
Mwangola urged them to provide policy guideline on
minimum training requirements per employee within any
given period of time. He said that this will ensure that
every employee has access to training. He added that
they should encourage initiatives by employees to study
further in areas relevant to their respective duties by
compensating them for undertaking such studies as long
as they get prior approval.
The chairman wished everybody every success ahead of
their duties.
Incoming Board Member Nathaniel Kangethe with
Commissioner General M.G. Waweru.
Commissioner General Mr. M.G. Waweru with SDC
Board Corporate Services and Administration
Mrs. F.W. Ng’ang’a.
Outgoing Board Members Mr. Raphael Gitau and
Samuel Bundotich.
Incoming Director Mr. F. Khadudu Were with SDC
Human Resources Mr. Micheal Onyura.
Mr. B. Kipkulei, SDC Rukunga Ncebere and Board
Member Mrs. Mildred A.Owuor.
14
GENDER VIOLENCE:
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
By Kendi Kinuthia
Did you know that:
• 24% of women in Kenya have been victims of rape.
• 83% of female respondents experienced physical abuse in
childhood.
• 61% of women have been physically abused at least once
in their adult life.
Worse still is that the perpetrators of violence against
women in Kenya are largely male, although mothers and
sisters are also esponsible for some of it.
Husbands/boyfriends, fathers, brothers, and other male
relatives are responsible for most of the violence.
These are some of the findings contained in the first
comprehensive study on violence experienced by women
and girls in Kenya conducted in 2002. The study covered six
out of eight provinces of Kenya and was conducted jointly by
two NGOs: Population Communication Africa (PCA) and the
National Council of Women of Kenya (NCWK).
The Kangemi Women Empowerment Centre also conducted
a study in 1998, to determine the incidence of domestic
violence in the Kangemi slum community. Among those
i n t e r v i ewed, approximately 75% reported hav i n g
experienced regular abuse by their partners. The Kangemi
study further found that 72% of interviewed women had
experienced sexual assault. On a National scale, the Coalition
of Violence Against Women (COVAW) estimates that 16,500
rapes take place countrywide every year, or one rape every
half hour.
THE COST OF GENDER BASED VIOLENCE
According to studies carried out by The Gender Violence
Re c overy Centre, gender violence costs the nation an
estimated Kshs. 85.2 Billion per annum.
Healthcare costs for women victims of domestic violence
were estimated to be 92% higher than for non-victims.
While costs for fractures and other serious injuries were said
to cost at least kshs. 100,000 posing a huge economic
burden to the scarce medical resources.
Long-term treatment of the effects of domestic and sexual
violence is a recurrent expenditure for the Ministry of Health,
Medical Insurance Companies and Health Maintenance
Organisations. On average, a single battered woman misses
between 2 to 7 days off work a month depending on the
degree of injury. Women constitute 75% of the farm labour
and 24% of the formal Kenyan work force. Battered women
lose vital woman-hours and are not as efficient as nonvictims.
The good new is that there is help launched in March 2001
as a pilot project of the Nairobi women’s Hospital, The
Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC) is the only such
facility in Kenya and East Africa. The Centre was established
to provide both specialised medical and psychological
treatment to survivors of domestic violence and sexual
abuse. Although the Centre mainly targets women and
children survivors of Gender Violence, male survivors also
make use of the services. From April 2001 to March 2004,
the GVRC treated over 1,700 cases of sexual abuse and
domestic violence. Of these, 700 cases have been child
survivors aged between 2 and 15 years.
The Gender Violence Recovery Centre has been a welcome
initiative to many who would have otherwise not known
where to go or who to turn to. One of the survivors of rape
who eventually sought help from the GVRC said that she was
gang-raped by 10 men and took 8 weeks to report the assault
and seek medical and psychological help. She literally had
nowhere to turn until she heard about the Gender Violence
Recovery Centre from an acquaintance.
Knowledge is power!
15
P ro fi le
A police officer who
serves through prayer
Chief Inspector Joseph Kamau
Efforts to streamline the matatu industry by the Ministry of
Transport and Communications which kicked off in year 2003,
triggered off a flurry of activities in different sectors of Kenya’s
economic sector. The Kenya Revenue Authority was among
government bodies that found themselves swamped with clients
from the industry seeking different services to ensure they comply
with the set regulations. As a result KRA sought the services of the
Administration Police to help maintain law and order and got a
team of 25 officers drawn from different stations. The team has
done a tremendous job since then. Below is a profile of the head
of the team Chief Inspector Joseph Kamau by Maureen Njongo,
SAC - Corporate & Public Affairs Division.
“ Bwana asifiwe!” That was Chief Inspector Joseph Kamau
greeting a “ brother” as he supervised his team of police officers
to ensure an orderly entry into the Times Tower building. I was
taken aback and I could not reconcile the Chief Inspector Kamau
I had known briefly as an authoritative and charismatic figure
that had become synonymous with the main entrance of the
Times Tower and the born again Christian, I discovered, he was.
I was intrigued that he was capable of booming out orders to
those who were not willing to queue as required and in the same
breath “ praise the Lord.”
At the height of the scramble for PSV licenses to ensure
compliance, idlers and layabouts who frequented Times Tower
to take ad vantage of the situation had learnt that Chief
Inspector Kamau was a “ no nonsense” officer and they would
disperse and vanish the minute they saw his tall frame at the
main entrance.
Chief Inspector Joseph Kamau joined the police force in 1981
having completed his secondary school education in 1979 at St.
Mary’s High School in Nakuru. His desire was to be a banker but
he never realised his dream due to several factors. His parents,
whose wish was that he pursues ‘A’ level education, could not
raise the fees required. He was therefore consigned to doing
clerical jobs in Molo, his hometown, while in search of an
occupation that would meet his expectations. A break came
through an advertisement in the newspapers for police recruits.
He applied and qualified after a series of interviews, which
included a fitness test. He joined the Police Force as a police
constable and was taken for para military training.
While in the police force, he was pleasantly surprised to learn
that he could pursue his passion for music. The force was replete
with officers who had studied music abroad and were dying to
put their talents and knowledge to use. He joined forces with
them and their efforts culminated in the setting up of a music
school where he taught. Ultimately the KANU Police Band was
born where he played the BB Flat Base. For Chief Inspector
Kamau, this was the culmination of a passion that he developed
in his youth during which he sang in the Catholic Church choir
back home in Molo.
The Music school was a success and attracted attention from
other quarters. In 1982, the Administration Police music trainers
were assigned to start a band at the Kenya Air Force. However,
the infamous coup attempt that took place during the year
scuttled attempts to develop the band. He however participated
in training the National Youth Service. While in the
Administration Police Band, the Administration Police retained
the National trophy for military bands for five years, an
achievement that led to the promotion of 20 best players of the
band to the rank of Sergeant, an award for good performance
from the then President Daniel arap Moi.
Chief inspector Kamau is the second born in a family of eight
and is married with four girls aged between 19 and four years.
He is a born again Christian and a Pastor with the Oasis of Love
Churches based at York House Building on Tom Mboya Street.
He loves praises and worship and on weekends he evangelises to
people in different estates.
How does he reconcile his job and his Christian faith? He “ casts
all burdens unto the Lord.” Even at the height of streamlining
the matatu industry which, resulted in long, almost
uncontrollable queues, Chief Inspector Kamau says he would
take short breaks to pray for guidance on handling the clients.
“ The Lord’s army was composed of the children of Israel. They
fought for the Lord. Today, even though we have guns and other
sophisticated weapons, the biggest weapon is prayer, ” he says.
Total submission to God is critical in all he does, he says and
starts off every week with a prayer session with his team based
at Times Tower and Forodha House. He also closes the week
with a prayer session on Fridays, which includes a sermon by
him or by Constable John Mutiso, a member of his team.
Chief Inspector Kamau has served in different parts of the
country including Mandera, Nanyuki, Eldoret, Kiambu and Meru
where he was based at the Meru National Park. He was posted
to the national park between 1989 and 1992 to tackle the
menace caused by Shiftas who were causing havoc in the park
by decimating the population of white rhino therein, which he
said was imported from South Africa. It was after several
encounters with Shiftas that Chief Inspector Kamau realised
that he could not face the Shiftas alone and turned to Christ in
1990. He says that death glared at him and his team but that
after his conversion he saw victory because he never lost an
officer and the battles with the Shifta poachers subsided.
Apart from helping protect life and property at Times Tower
and Forodha house, his team has helped comb the two stations
of con men and dealers in fake documents and also maintain law
and order. He says he enjoys his job more so because he always
seeks God’s guidance in all he does.
16
H a d ith i
HADITHI, HADITHI…
By Wairimu Mungai
Albert Einstein said that “imagination is more than
knowledge.” Let me be bold and share mine. Have you ever
been in a situation where you volunteered to do something
and then after some thought you wondered why you opened
your mouth in the first place? I’m sure those of you truly
honest with yourselves are nodding enthusiastically probably
because you have done this umpteen times. Am I right? …I
thought so. See my problem is this, I volunteered to write this
article on Thursday and at the time I was beyond excitement
because I had all these ideas in my head. Unfortunately, this
was short lived because as I started to put the ideas on paper,
one thing became clear, I just couldn’t. Anyone who has
attempted to write feels my pain. There was nothing left of
the so called brilliant ideas I thought I had.
To be frank, I started this article on Thursday, here I am now
on Sunday afternoon blubbering away. Did I mention the
article is due tomorrow morning? Its true that “its impossible
to enjoy idling unless one has plenty of work to do.” I tried
seeking help by explaining my dilemma to my younger
brother hoping he could chip in but all he did was laugh at
me, ‘mzigo ni wangu’ I suppose. I’m actually quite disturbed
by the fact that my aunty invited me for sumptuous Sunday
lunch but I had to turn her down because I’m really trying to
be a woman of my word. I believe I’m one of those people
who work really well under pressure and it’s a ‘virtue’ I
discovered recently while in campus. I used to work on essays
overnight and the results were not too unpleasant I must
admit. This may be entirely different, guess I’l have to wait
and find out tomorrow but for now my fingers and toes are
crossed. I too fear rejection.
A friend told me I was misleading myself by thinking I worked
well under pressure. In her book it is called procrastination
and last minute work. This, however, is a debate for another
day. I’ve decided to write on the highlights of my week but
before I start, you have to forgive me because the late Barry
White is serenading me on the radio and this I have to give
my undivided attention don’t you think is a shame he died
such a talented man I understand when he came to Kenya he
said he would be back to settle now we’ll neve r
know………………………………………………………ok am
back and the stereo is off, no more distractions.
SUNDAY
I went to visit a cousin at Moi Nairobi Girls and it took me
back to my days in high school. The good old days when my
biggest worry was not academics but whether mum had
managed to shop for everything on the list I sent her. Talk
about mixed up priorities. When you go to boarding school
you realize just vital food is and especially “never say bread,
say SUPA LOAF!” those were the days I used to eat one loaf
on my own during school holidays. No wonder I can’t stand
bread nowadays and thank God for that since am on a losing
weight spree.
MONDAY
I think the greatest thing about Monday was that it didn’t
seem at all like a Monday.
TUESDAY
Now here comes the drama. I received a very interesting SMS
from my girl friend in Malaysia. She wrote that a mutual
friend was getting married and that I was to be the maid of
honour! Firstly, am besides myself with joy I mean the last
time I ‘simamiad’ a wedding I was ten years old. Then it hits
me, what in the world do I know about being someone’s
maid of honour? Can someone please enlighten me.
Secondly, the wedding is in the US…you can send your
donations to 20th floor. They will be highly appreciated.
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY
Both days were relatively busy and flew by. No drama to
document except the fact that I saw a bicycle hit a car near
The Hilton the poor guy was in shock so was I actually.
FRIDAY
Friday was to say the least, crazy. Now that I have joined the
industrious working club I fully understand the phrase ‘TGIF’
– Thank God Its Friday. Can I get an Amen!
SATURDAY
It’s amazing how fast the week has flown. I can’t believe the
week is over and I can’t for the life of me think of a single
minute I spent resting. Oh well, there’s always next weekend.
SUNDAY
Well, you all know what I did all day.
A deep thought to ponder on “…if we stopped to think
more, we would stop to thank more” Anonymous.
17
Humour
WORK ETHICS FOR THE OPEN FLOOR OFFICE SETUP:
TIPS AND TRICKS
By M.K. Mwaniki
Here are some theories on how to work smart and still score.
1. Never walk without a document in your hand
People with documents in their hands look like hard working
employees heading for important meetings. While people with
nothing in their hands look like they are heading to the
restaurant "HOMEPARK". People with a newspaper in their
hands look like they are heading for the toilet. Most
importantly, make sure you carry loads of stuff home with you
at night, thus generating the false impression that you work
longer hours than the rest.
2. Use computers to look busy
Any time you use a computer, it looks like you are very busy
working to the casual observer. You can send and receive
personal e-mail, chat and generally have a ball without doing
anything remotely related to work. These are not exactly the
societal benefits that the proponents of the computer
revolution would like to talk about. When you get caught by
your boss, which you will surely do, your best defence is to
claim that you are teaching yourself to use new software, hence
saving the organization invaluable training expenses.
3. Messy desk
Top management can get away with a clean desk "KRA 4 &
above". For the rest of us, it looks like we are not working hard
enough. Build huge piles of documents around your workspace.
To the observer, last year's work looks the same as today's work;
it's volume that counts. Pile them high and wide and if you
k n ow that somebody is coming to your desk, bury the
document you will need halfway down in an existing stack and
rummage for it when they arrive.
4. Voice mail
Never answer your phone if you have voicemail or a secretary.
People don’t call you just because they want to give you
something for nothing, they call because they want you to work
for them. That’s no way to survive. Screen all your calls through
the voice mail or secretary. If somebody leaves a message for
you and it sounds like impending work, respond during lunch
hour when you know they are not there, it looks like you are
hard working and diligent even though you are being sly.
5. Look impatient and irritable
Always try to look impatient and irritable to give your bosses
the impression that you are always busy.
6. Leave the office late
Always leave the office late, especially when the boss is still
around, you could try reading magazines and novels that you
have always wanted to read but have had no time, until late
before leaving. Ensure you walk past the boss's office on your
way out. Also send important e-mails at unearthly hours, for
example 9.30pm, 6.45am and during weekends and public
holiday's.
7. Sigh creatively
Sigh loudly when there are many people around thus giving the
impression that you are under extreme pressure.
8. Stacking stratagem
It is not enough to pile lots of documents on the table. Put lots
of books on the floor, for example, thick computer manuals and
printouts are most ideal.
9. Build your lexicon
Read up on some magazines and pick out all the jargon and
new products. Use the phrases freely when in conversation with
bosses. Remember, they don’t have to understand what you say,
but you will sound impressive.
10. Have two blazers
Always leave a spare blazer draped over the office coat hangers;
this gives the impression that you are still within the building.
Of cause the second blazer is worn while swag g e r i n g
elsewhere.
11. MOST IMPORTANT
Don’t let your boss read this mail at all cost.
"Compiled from the internet"
QUOTE
“Knowing your deepest intention can be your guiding force in the
creation of a better life.”
18
H u m o u r c o nti n u e d
REPLY TO FINAL TAX DEMAND
The following letter popped up at the strong room – during preparation of the 2004 budget.
Your super-headed letter arrived this morning in an open envelope with a penny stamp and it would have given myself and
the boy such pleasure had it not revived in us melancholy reflections of what had gone on before. You say you thought the
amount could have been settled long ago and couldn’t understand why it hadn’t. Well, here are the reasons.
In 1984, I bought a sawmill on credit. In 1985, I bought a team of horses, a timber wagon, two ponies, a double-barrelled
shotgun and two razor-backed pigs, all on credit. One of the ponies died and I loaned the other to a stupid bastard who
starved the poor bugger to death.
In 1987, my father died and my brother was hanged for raping a pensioner. A tramp seduced my daughter and I had to pay
the bastard Kshs. 5,000.00 to stop him becoming one of my relations. In 1988, my boy got mumps, which spread to his balls
and the poor boy had to be castrated to save his life. Later, I went fishing and the rotten boat overturned drowning two of
my lads, neither being the one who was castrated.
In 1989, my wife ran away with a sheep shearer and left twine as a souvenir. Then I had to have a housekeeper, so I married
her to keep the expenses down. In 1990, someone cut the nut off my prize bull, and I was buggered and took to booze. I
didn’t stop until all I had left was a pocket watch and a weak bladder. Winding the watch and running for peace kept me busy
for a time. After a year, I took heart once more and bought on credit a manure spreader, a reaper, a binder and a car. Then
the floods came and washed the bloody lot away.
It surprises me very much when you say you will cause trouble if I don’t pay up. What trouble? If you can think of anything I
have missed, I should like to know about it. Trying to get money out of me is like trying to poke butter up a porcupine with
a red-hot needle. I am praying for a shower of skunk scent to pass your way and I hope the centre of it is over the bunch of
bastards in your office who sent me this final demand.
Yours for more credit,
(Signed)
USE OF PROPER NUMBER PLATES
By Z. A. Oruko
Did you know that use of illegally a criminal act ?
Section 5 (5) of the traffic act Cap 403 laws of Kenya as read together with traffic rules (subsidiary) part 11 7 (2) (e) states clearly the
conditions under which vehicles are registered and the correct number plates to be used.
Use of illegally acquired number plates is a criminal act.
The traffic act states that,
On being satisfied as to the accuracy of the particulars contained in a form of application for registration of a vehicle, a licensing officer
shall assign the vehicle a number, which shall be the identification mark of the vehicle.
The traffic rules states that,
With effect from 1st. June, 1977, no person shall manufacture or sell reflective number plates without the written authority of the Registrar
of motor vehicles.
The authority to manufacture can never be duplicated at any single given time. Currently the authority to manufacture plates is sorely
under prisons Department, and only those acquired through the right procedures are recognised.
However, following an indication by the motorists on desire to have something deferent, the Authority has initiated a move that may soon
yield to a more desirable product.
19
En v i ro n m e nt
WE SHOULD LEAD THE WAY
GOING THE UNLEADED FUEL WAY
By M. K. Mwaniki
Up to 80% of motorists the world over use unleaded petrol while Kenya uses mainly leaded petrol (regular or super), which
not only contaminates the air, soil, drinking water, food crops but also causes serious health risks.
Unborn children and infants living near roads and in urban areas where leaded petrol is used can suffer loss of intelligence
according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In case of brain damage, the effects are permanent and untreatable.
This is why leaded petrol has been phased out and banned in nearly 50 nations, in Western Europe, North America and the
Fast East.
A study in Egypt showed that because of lead pollution the average IQ loss in children amounted to 4.25 points and deaths
of infants and young adults, strokes and heart attacks increased dramatically. Egypt went unleaded.
Lack of awareness of the health risks, misconceptions about the impact of unleaded fuels on engines coupled with
inadequate technological advancement has caused most of Africa to lag behind. Currently there are only 8 countries in
Africa that are fully lead-free, namely, Egypt, Libya, Mauritius, Sudan, Morocco, Reunion, Tunisia and Western Sahara.
There is also evidence that lead can damage the catalytic converters of cars. A catalytic converter restricts the amount of
pollution that cars can produce. Unfortunately many people who drive older cars are convinced that their engines would
suffer engine damage if they used. Under normal motoring conditions prevailing in Africa, unleaded petrol works as well if
not better in most if not all vehicles.
The good news is that unleaded petrol costs the same as leaded, so we need not be daunted by price. A switch will not only
protect the lives of unborn children but also prevent an environmental hazard.
WALKING FOR HUNGER
By Maximilla Onyango
Kenya Revenue Authority was conspicuously among the organisations that took part in this year’s freedom from hunger
walk. The annual freedom from hunger walk is a symbol of solidarity in cities around the world for the poor who do not have
food. It symbolizes the long arduous struggle by the people to have food and live a healthy life. It is viewed as a continuation
of an on- going walk for a better tomorrow and for future generations.
This year’s freedom from hunger walk’s theme was “Alliance walk for food Security” “Chakula kwa watu wote”. It covered
18km and attracted over 5,000 participants.
The walk was flagged off by Agriculture Minister Kipruto Arap Kirwa. Among the dignitaries who graced the occasion was
Minster for Livestock Development Hon. Joseph Munyao.
The big question remains! Will there be food for all?
20
Scanner
MOBILE SCANNER INSTALLED
The much-awaited mobile scanner has already arrived and
installed at the Kilindini Port, Mombasa. The scanning
equipment consists of two vehicles (lorries), one containing
state of the art scanning equipment, which more or less
resembles an Outside Broadcasting unit and the control vehicle.
The scanner will form an integral part of the Customs Reform
and Modernisation (CRM) project. The unit will be responsible
for scanning containerised cargo and making appropriate
recommendations on whether the cargo should be released or
subjected to physical verification.
During a recent visit by the Customs Reform and Modernisation
Project Team, the members were taken on a familiarisation tour
of the scanner, which is currently installed at the Containers
Terminal. CRM members raised some pertinent issues regarding
the functionality of the scanner in view of KRA’s determination
to automate its business processes.
It is expected that the scanner will contribute towards
decongesting the port of Mombasa because it will facilitate
faster non-intrusive and non-destructive inspection of
containerised cargo. It will also detect misdeclarations and
enhance the effectiveness of complete verifications. Above all
the scanner is expected to enhance trade fac i l i t a t i o n ,
compliance to tax legislation and security by interc e p t i n g
explosives or other prohibited/dangerous substances. SACMIS, Mr Joseph Siror will head the Maintenance Engineers Team.
While the Scanner Operation Team will be headed by Abdul
Razaak Bonaya who will be assisted by Albert Atambo, and Eric
Kemei. Other members include Joseph Kaguru, Patrick Orengo
Omari, Barnabas Indimuli Makhokha, Linda Khae m ba and
Antonio Bett Leting.
GIVE A WARM
WELCOME TO CHANGE
21
Change
By Ismail M. Farah
Former British Prime Minister, Harrold Mackmillan gave a
speech in 1962 at the height of the apartheid era in South
Africa, which contained the memorable assertion that a
“wind of change is blowing across the continent”. This had
a lasting impact, because the experience of change was
unfamiliar to many people, and brought anxiety to those
others whose recent experience of change had been in the
massive dislocation created by war. For people the world
over, therefore, the “Wind of change speech”, as it later
became known, raised hope and expectations on the one
hand, anxieties and fears on the other. By what did he mean
by change?
Almost half a century later, succeeding generations have
become very familiar indeed with change. In the 20th
century technology and science changed everything, or so it
seemed. There is now a widespre ad assumption that
technological change is a fundamental component of life,
and that there is some ‘natural law’ at work, which dictates
an ever-increasing speed of change in the 21st Century.
From all the evidence of recent centuries we are entitled to
assume that the first part of that assumption must be
correct. So those who are anxious about new science-based
technologies and would prefer to slow down or even stop
change, are likely to seek to exert increasing influence over
the way changes evolve in the coming years.
The tendency is for change to be resisted, even when the
change in question is simply to go back to where we were,
either physically or mentally. Change can be defined as
“alteration” whether positive or negative, and organisations
are constantly confronted by either change or the need for it,
if they are to develop and prosper as their circumstances
continue to evolve. So then why do people resist - or at least
appear to resist - change at work?
Anxiety - fear of the unknown
Trying something new is seldom easy if you do not know very
much, or anything, about it first. Some people “take the
plunge” as if they are learning to swim by being dropped in
a river, knowing that they have to swim or die. Others prefer
to prepare for change.
Anxiety about the scale of the challenge
Most people know that a little challenge in their working
lives is both necessary and can be enjoyable, just like trying
to excel to in a sport or exams. But a change in work
practices requires personal competency and self esteem
particularly amongst older people and those who have not
experienced as much change in their lives as have others
around them, and so might not have the self-confidence to
tackle change in a positive manner.
Anxiety about disruption to life
No one particularly welcomes having to make moves that will
fo rce breaks in established and familiar re l a t i o n s h i p s ,
whether through fresh assignments, relocation, redundancy
or any other uprooting process. There can be consequences
for families and friends as well as colleagues. Organizations
too, can have difficulty in embracing change; the reason
might be one or more or these:
•
Structural problem - Every organisation needs to be as
flexible as possible in its structure, so that it can deal
effectively with unexpected events and change promptly.
•
Cultural problem - There has to be a positive “ Can do”
a ttitude or ”Culture” - prevalent throughout the
organisation and managers should play a pivotal role in
achieving this. They should set a tone, which ideally
everyone should follow.
•
Historic problem - Long established organisations tend
to develop the corporate version of hardened arteries in
older human beings. A feeling that we have always done
it this way, so we don’t have or need to change. Further
more “Continuity is comfortable certainly prefer to
believe in that that is familiar.
The culture of change - In less confident and robust
environments some people might be reluctant to come
fo r wa rd with comments and contributions for change,
because they fear the risk of rejection, others might feel that
managers who lack sufficient ideas of their own are
unreasonably pressurising them. The Risk reward ratio as
they see it, does not offer them sufficient inducement to
volunteer their thoughts. The rewards do not necessarily
have to be financial. They might be more concerned with
turning jobs into “careers”, through more interesting work,
better promotion prospects, improved skills training, or
greater responsibility. When managers recognise these
impediments and ad d ress them they are pushing the
o p e rations
fo r wa rd towa rds
becoming
learning
organisations. The motivation for change can vary from
striving to meet organisational objectives, wanting higher
earnings to aiming for greater challenges and security
through growth.
However the need to reorganise first has to be identified.
Are the existing arrangements looking “tired” or unsuitable?
This ailment can afflict the best planned structures after
time, when people are having difficulty in handling increased
workloads, controls are weakened, poor co-ordination of
effort, or lines of communication multiply. Does this sickly
condition give rise to faults in the structure itself? If so
where exactly are the consequent problems? Are they likely
to be temporary or permanent?
It is important to appreciate that restructuring is not about
destruction, nor about tearing down what works. It should
entail a careful and systematic reorganisation, which may or
may not involve redeploying resources, closing facilities and
reshaping whole structures. Many people will expre s s
varying degrees of resentment and attitudes towa rd s
restructuring. Possibly this is because there might be an
over-zealous belief in the corporate “healing power” of
restructuring. The challenge is to know when best to do it
and how best to do it. Yet there may be times change is not
necessary at all.
22
G ra d u ate s
Class of 2004 Graduates
“Chanda chema huvishwa pete”; hence goes a popular Swahili saying. And this was the mood of those
present at the Chancellor’s Court, University of Nairobi, on Friday 7th May 2004. It was a chilly morning
that turned out to be a sunny and happy day for all who attended.
The ceremonies began with a pompous Academic Procession at 9.45 am. The occasion was used to
install the Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, Dr. Joseph Wanjui, who was also conferred the
honorary degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) (Honoris Causa).
The highlight of the day came when the President of Kenya, His Excellency Hon. Mwai Kibaki CGH,
MP, was conferred the distinguished Degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) (Honoris Causa). It was
truly an honor for those present to have been awarded degrees and diplomas alongside the
President.
A total of 4,570 degrees and diplomas were awarded on that day. At the auspicious occasion,
Kenya Revenue Authority was represented by:
• Jacqueline Githinji – M.A. (HR Labour Studies)
• G. M. Chiuri – M.B.A.
• L. Meroka – M.B.A.
• Levi Mukhweso – M.B.A.
• P. Obuyekha – M.B.A.
• Kevin Safari – M.B.A.
• Joseph Siror – M.B.A.
• P. Okollokwach – B. Comm. (Management Science Option)
The Editorial team would like to wish the graduands who did us proud - very Hearty
CONGRATULATIONS !
Thanks
to KRA for Sponsorship
I thank the management for sponsoring me
to further my education at the University
of Nairobi.
I was able to do a Postgraduate Diploma
in Computer Science which I would not
have afforded on my own.
With my newly acquired skills I wish to
request the management to redeploy me
in more challenging duties than the ones
am performing at the moment within the
Authority.
Peace K. Atunga
The ‘learned’ employee
Times are truly changing, and for those who refuse to change with the times, then
they will soon find themselves on the peripherals of what life has to offer. Gone are
the days when one walked out of school into a job and stayed there until retirement
age, when smiling old officers we re handed certificates of appre c i a t i o n ,
wheelbarrow & spade or clock if not a radio. Today, we exist in a very competitive
environment, where the initial skills an officer was employed with are no longer
sufficient for upward progression in the workplace.
It is said that if one thinks education is expensive, then she/he should try
ignorance. In light of this new challenge, it is now common to see scores of
employees in KRA leaving their offices and heading for various institutions of
higher learning every evening. There are numerous courses offered in the various
evening academic feasts, among these being CPA, part-time degrees, Diploma
studies, Certificate courses and a host of others. Employees have now realised
that personal development will only occur with the improvement of their
academic and professional credentials.
The overall impact of employees pursuing higher education is a supposedly
more efficient and effective organisation, which is able to carry out its mandate.
Education widens one’s perspective and often results in reducing the gap
between theory and practice of modern trends in work performance. For the
employee it is a personal step towards self-actualisation. So go ahead and enrol
in a programme. But consult your nearest Human Resource Manager first, for
approval, if you hope to seek a refund.
23
S e c u rity
ESTABLISHMENT OF CUSTOMS
DETECTOR DOG (K9) UNIT
By P. N. Munuhe
The Customs and Excise department has identified need to form a detector dog unit.
This need stems from the realization of the serious threat posed by illicit drugs to the
health and safety of the public.
The establishment of the unit is one of the department’s strategic initiatives set out
in the current corporate plan.
In pursuit of this initiative, Kenya Revenue Authority requested technical support
from the Japanese Customs and Tariff Bureau. The support has been provided in
the form of advice from Japanese Detector Dog experts - Messrs Fujita and
Nakajima during a visit to the Authority in December 2003 and a Drug
Detector Dog Training course for seven officers at the Tokyo Customs Canine
Training Centre (Japan) in March 2004. The training included an overview of
Japanese Customs operations as well as theoretical and practical aspects of
detector dog training and management.
Ms. Rosemary A. Ombogo, a Preventive Guard
learning detector dog handling skills at the Tokyo
Customs Canine Training Centre (Japan)
Among the important lessons learned from the training experience was
that the effectiveness and efficiency of the Japanese Dog Detector Unit was
reinforced by coordinated implementation of various measures such as
i n formation analysis and exchange, automated risk assessment,
intelligence gathering and sharing, X- ray scanning etc.
The establishment of the unit will greatly supplement the physical
checks and scanning techniques currently in use in various Customs
operational areas.
Officers from the C&E Department receiving instructions on
detector dog management. Pictured from left are: Mr. Fred
Wamalwa, Mr. Christopher Nzuve, Ms. Rosemary Ombogo, Mr.
Alfred Kariuki, Mr. Tsuyoshi Nakajima (Trainer from Japanese
Customs Administration) and Mr. John Bisonga.
SECURITY
Major Kariuki, KRA’ S SAC Security trained with the Kenya Armed Forces and USA army Military
Police School.
He underwent Diploma courses in Policing in security operations, Conventional Physical Security,
Crime Prevention and Investigations, Combating Terrorism, Hostage Negotiations and Security
Instructor.
Major’s key role at KRA is to provide professional Security services aimed at protecting and
preventing KRA staff, property, equipment and information against all risks. His primary
concerns are protection and prevention.
He appeals to KRA staff at all levels to support his interest in security at their premises. He says
that security is a shared responsibility and should be a concern of everyone.
Major Kariuki has previously worked in Security Fields with East Africa Breweries, Officer
Commanding Armed Forces Military Police Nairobi among others.
Major RTD S. M. Kariuki
24
ENCOURAGING CREATIVITY
By Maximilla Onyango
Intellectual Property is the creation of one’s mind that
translates into tangible goods and services. The world
Intellectual Property Organisation is committed to
development of a universal culture of creativity, in which the
Intellectual Property system is widely used to strengthen
economic performance and enhance wealth creation for the
betterment of all.
This year’s World Intellectual Property Day (WIPD) was
commemorated on the 26th of April 2004 at the Kenya
Industrial Property Institute (KIPI). This day is celebrated to
provide an opportunity for people of all nations to reflect on
the importance of creativity and innovation in building a
better world.
The theme of this year’s celebration was “ Encouraging
Creativity”, recognized by the World Intellectual Property
Organisation as its vision.
the activities undertaken were preparation of materials for
taxpayer education, setting up a KRA courtesy tent and
assembling a counterfeit goods stand display. KRA
congratulated the Ministry of Trade and Industry and KIPI on
this important day.
The guest of honour was the Minister for Trade and Industry
Hon. Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi who led participants in burning
counterfeit goods. Dr. Kituyi opened a symposium to discuss
best practices in Anti counterfeiting and the way forward for
Kenya in this field.
To spice up the occassion KRA sponsored live music,
performance from local artistes that coincided with the
theme of the day.
The KRA team was led by Calisto G. Jamesa Ag. D.C
Investigation and Enforcement department.
The theme encourages all nations to harness creativity and
innovation through the use of Intellectual Property system,
so as to achieve economic growth and cultural development.
To achieve prosperity in today’s world, developing limitless
resources in Science, business, technology and arts is key.
For Kenya to attain the status of a newly industrialized
country, its important for Kenyans to recognize, protect and
develop intellect property as it is the essence of
development.
Kenya Revenue Authority participated actively to make this
day a success. KRA’s Anti-counterfeit Secretariat took a
major role in organizing the pre- WIPD activities. Amongst
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN
Counterfeit goods being destroyed on the WIPO day.
APPLYING FOR VISA
By John P. Kipkosgei
Did you know that you can travel to 15 European countries,
which make Schengen States in Europe for business or as a
tourist on a single uniform visa? Yes! You can travel to
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain,
Belgium, Netherlands, Luxe m b o u rg, Sweden, Finland,
Iceland, Denmark and Norway on a single visa. Here is what
you need when applying for one:
1. One application form dully filled and a recent photograph
2. Passport valid for at least three months from the return
date
3. Kenya ID card (Original + Photocopy)
4. Recent passport photograph
5. Letter from employer
6. Bank statement for the last three months (tourist)
7. Copies of all original documents to be presented together
with the originals (tourist)
8. Support documents confirming accommodation
9. Invitation letter from Schengen States
10. Flight bookings and return confirmed ticket while
collecting your passport
11. Applicable visa fee
In our next edition we shall tell you what you need to travel
to The Republic of South Africa, United Kingdom & United
States of America.
KRA Corporate & Publ ic Affairs Department
Times Tower, 1st Fl oor, P.O. Box 48240, 00100 GPO Nairobi • Tel: 310900 • Fax: 316872
Email : cic@ kra. go.ke • Website: ww w. r evenue.go.ke