• The taxman on Friday said the two roles are key pillars in delivering its vision to be a globally trusted revenue agency facilitating tax and customs compliance.
•She has a Certificate in Customs and Tax Administration from the Kenya School of Revenue Administration (KESRA).
The Kenya Revenue Authority has appointed Lilian Anyango and Edward Kinyua as commissioner of customs and border control and commissioner of investigation and enforcement respectively.
The taxman on Friday said the two roles are key pillars in delivering its vision to be a globally trusted revenue agency facilitating tax and customs compliance.
"The two leaders will play a key role in spearheading and sustaining revenue mobilization and institutional transformation agenda,” Commissioner General Githinji Mburu said.
Anyango holds a Master of Business Administration (Strategic Management) degree from United States International University and a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) degree from the University of Nairobi.
She has a Certificate in Customs and Tax Administration from the Kenya School of Revenue Administration (KESRA).
Prior to her appointment as Commissioner Customs and Border Control, Anyango served as the Customs and Excise Manager of Africa Region at the Diageo Centre of Excellence overseeing the customs governance, risk management and international trade operations.
She started off her career in tax at KRA in 2003 as a Revenue Officer (I) after undergoing the Graduate Trainee Program.
She rose to an acting Senior Revenue Officer in charge of gateway clearance sheds and cargo handling at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
In September 2009, she moved to Deloitte East Africa Limited as a Senior Consultant for Customs and International Trade.
In this role, she handled customs and international trade for clients; interfaced with KRA in resolving clients’ queries and audits.
She was seconded to the East African Breweries Limited (EABL) Supply Chain Department where she streamlined and managed the import and export process by collaborating with the relevant stakeholders to ensure prompt clearance of goods and compliance with customs law.
In May 2012, Anyango was appointed as the Customs and Bonds Manager at the EABL in charge of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan.
She managed tax risks of imports and exports of raw materials and finished goods ensuring proper management of EABL clearance processes.
In January 2014, she was appointed as the Customs and Tax Manager at EABL with the role of strategic advisor on customs and cross-border transaction matters. In 2019, she moved to Diageo Centre of Excellence to oversee the customs governance, risk management and international trade operations across Africa.
Anyango has also lectured on a part-time basis at the Strathmore School of Law, focusing on tax Law and Customs matters.
She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University and is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success.
According to KRA, Anyango brings to KRA a broad wealth of experience gained from the public sector, private sector and academia in customs and international trade matters both within the East Africa region and Africa in general.
She has broad experience in customs administration, policy and legislation having been part of various legislative reviews and changes.
On his part, Edward Kinyua Karanja holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Washington International University (WIU), a Master of Business Administration (Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management) from United States International University and Master of Arts in Public Finance from Grips University, Tokyo, Japan.
He also holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Mathematics from Egerton University.
Karanja is currently the Acting Commissioner of Investigation and Enforcement in addition to his substantive role as the Deputy Commissioner, Investigation and Enforcement, a position he has held since 2019.
He has a wealth of experience in tax investigations and has significantly contributed towards reforms geared towards countering tax evasion and building confidence in tax systems.
He has instituted investigations that have led to the recovery of taxes.
He joined KRA in 1992 as Assessor II (Special Unit Income Tax) and served until 1997, when he became Principal Revenue Officer, Head of Audit Large Taxpayers Office (LTO).
From the year 2000 to 2002, Karanja served as Assistant Commissioner/Audit Manager – Head Office before he was appointed Assistant Commissioner –Policy Unit Technical in 2005.
From 2007 to 2010, Karanja was the Manager in charge of the Tax Policy Unit within the Large Taxpayers Office (LTO) until he was promoted to Senior Assistant Commissioner in charge of the Manufacturing Sector in LTO.
From 2013 to 2014, he served as the Manager in charge of Investigations and Enforcement, Domestic Taxes Department till 2015 when he was moved to the Investigations and Enforcement Department as a Chief Manager.
Karanja was appointed Deputy Commissioner, Investigations and Enforcement Department, in 2019 and currently the Acting Commissioner for the Department.
He is a Member of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK)and a member of the Kenya Institute of Management.