“Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Under Investigation for Mandating Pregnancy and HIV Tests in Recruitment Process”

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"Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Under Investigation for Mandating Pregnancy and HIV Tests in Recruitment Process"

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Kenyan Members of Parliament (MPs) are currently investigating the recent recruitment process of tax revenue workers following revelations that certain applicants were disqualified after undergoing HIV and pregnancy tests.

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) disclosed that 133 job applicants were disqualified last year after undergoing these tests. These individuals were slated to undergo paramilitary training in preparation for their roles as tax collection enforcers.

It is important to note that Kenyan law strictly prohibits discrimination in hiring based on health status. Therefore, the news that recruits were subjected to medical tests sparked visible shock and anger among MPs during a parliamentary session on Thursday.

Mandera West MP Adan Haji, who chairs the National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity committee, expressed strong concern, stating, “There is no doubt that a gross violation of rights has been committed in the recruitment process.” He urged senior KRA officials to acknowledge the infringement on constitutional articles and relevant human rights laws.

The defense for the tests was provided by KRA commissioner for domestic taxes, Rispah Simiyu, who highlighted that the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), responsible for conducting paramilitary training, routinely subject recruits to HIV/AIDS and pregnancy tests. According to Simiyu, this approach was implemented to ensure the physical fitness and safety of recruits during training.

Despite KRA commissioner-general Humphrey Wattanga’s assurance that the results of the tests were confidential and denied any discrimination based on HIV/AIDS status, MPs demanded clarity on why these applicants were rejected, emphasizing that discrimination based on health status is prohibited by law.

Moreover, MPs questioned the necessity of HIV tests for all paramilitary training and scrutinized the involvement of the military in the recruitment process. They pledged to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter.

Kasipul MP Ong’ondo Were urged KRA to explain why the disqualified applicants should not be reinstated immediately, while Teso North MP Oku Kaunya called for an extensive investigation into KRA’s operations to set a precedent for other organizations.

This development follows closely on the heels of a High Court ruling nullifying the recruitment of all 1,406 revenue workers due to alleged favoritism towards specific ethnic communities. The court deemed the recruitment unconstitutional, citing disparities in the selection process. Despite KRA’s claims of receiving a higher number of applications from certain communities, the court found insufficient evidence to support this assertion.

The recruitment initiative forms part of the government’s broader strategy to bolster revenue collection and combat tax evasion.