Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Wafula Chebukati on July 17 sent a congratulatory message to his wife Mary Wanyonyi after taking oath of office as Chairperson, Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA).
In a statement on his Twitter account, Chebukati wished his wife success in her new role at CRA.
Further, the former IEBC boss advised Mary to keep her fidelity to the Constitution and the law.
“Your dedication and expertise will undoubtedly contribute to the Mandate of the CRA and prosperity for all Kenyans,” read part of the tweet.
Chebukati Wife’s Acceptance Speech
In her acceptance speech, Mary thanked President William Ruto for the appointment and the National Assembly for their approval.
Further, she pledged to serve Kenyans with utmost dedication, faithfulness and integrity in accordance with the Constitution.
Mary stated that county governments have the potential to collect up to Kshs. 216 billion in revenue from their key streams compared to the current Kshs. 31 billion annually.
Research by CRA attributes this difference to the manual collection of revenue, high collection costs and lack of updated valuation rolls among other challenges.
“The game changer for the counties will be to automate revenue collection”
“Through automation, counties can collect beyond their potential. lam aware that a few counties have automated,” she said.
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In addition, Mary stated that her immediate focus will be to roll-out a strategic plan that aligns to the Bottom-up Equalization Transformation Agenda.
Further, she pledged to prioritize finalization of the Third Policy identifying marginalized areas and setting the criteria for the use of the Equalization Fund.
Likewise, she said that CRA will continue to engage The National Treasury to ensure timely release of the equitable share of revenue to the counties to enable counties execute their budgets timely.
“Under my leadership, the Commission will support the counties to exercise prudent financial management, through capacity building”
“In so doing, we will prepare the counties to migrate to accrual based financial reporting once the Public Sector Accountant Standards Board pronounces itself on the migration from reporting on cash basis,” she noted.
Additionally, Mary committed to holding the independence of CRA.
She vowed to execute her functions as Chairperson in a transparent, accountable and impartial manner.
Also, she pledged to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the CRA achieves its mandate.
“I assure you that the law will be my guiding principle and that no Kenyan will be left behind as envisaged in the vision of the Commission on Revenue,” she said.
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Chief Justice Martha Koome
On her part, Chief Justice Martha Koome stated the CRA is a pillar of the country’s public finance management.
For this reason, she said Mary’s position is of great responsibility and consequence.
“You are the steward of our nation’s resources, guiding the hand that ensures that every shilling is fairly and equitably distributed.”
“This responsibility is critical in shaping the course of our nation,” she said.
Koome noted that the people of Kenya are the true owners of the resources shared by CRA.
Therefore, she asked the CRA boss to prioritize Kenyans during her tenure.
Further, she asked the CRA to acknowledge the importance of devolution, to bring resources close to the people.
“Therefore, the Commission on Revenue Allocation must always strive to meet the needs of Kenyans in every corner of our country. You must strive to understand the unique needs and aspirations,” she said.
The Chief Justice promised to work closely with the commission to ensure it delivers its mandate.
Previous Position
President Ruto nominated Mary Wanyonyi on May 23 to be CRA Chairperson.
Prior to this, she served as the Senior Deputy Accountant General and Head of the Accounting Unit in the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development.
