Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is set to reintroduce the graduate trainee program as it embarks on plans to open more campuses of the Kenya School of Revenue Administration (KESRA) across the country.
The taxman indicated that the program will augment the Authority’s efforts to build its human resource capacity in keeping with the organization’s 9th Corporate Plan.
KRA Commissioner General, Mr. Humphrey Wattanga, said, “In light of our unwavering commitment to building a skilled workforce, I am excited to announce that this financial year, we will re- introduce the Graduate Trainee Program, which has historically proven to be a potent program for imparting essential skills and knowledge to our staff”
The Commissioner General further said that infrastructural enhancements have already been completed at KESRA Mombasa Campus which have increased the school’s ability to increase its training programs and host more learners.
He said, “We continue to marshal resources to implement the very robust campus Master Plan, a process that is expected to improve the overall capacity and expand KESRA’s footprint in the Country. We remain committed to step up investment in staff development and an enabling work environment towards the realization of our mandate. Evolving global dynamics demand continuous investment in knowledge and skills, which is critical to building a modern, resilient tax administration. Dedication to mastering new competencies; whether in tax administration, compliance, or policy, is therefore vital for adaptability, innovation and effectiveness of the tax authority. By doing so, we remain agile and responsive to the complex challenges associated with our mandate.”
During this year’s graduation ceremony whose theme was “Building Capacity to strengthen tax systems and mobilise revenue within the region”, 682 individuals graduated after completing various courses around tax, customs, and logistics.
In the last Financial Year 2023/2024, over 7,000 KRA staff were trained on various programs by KESRA. KESRA is the largest of the four accredited World Customs Organization (WCO) Regional Training Centres (RTC) in East and Southern Africa providing capacity enhancement programmes in Tax Administration, Customs Administration and Fiscal Policy.