Ciala Resort owner George Obel under EACC radar for accumalating Sh 30billion wealth despite a 468k salary at KRA

Ciala Resort owner George Obel under EACC radar for accumalating Sh 30billion wealth despite a 468k salary at KRA

KRA Commissioner George Obel is under the EACC’s radar for allegedly accumulating wealth of over Sh 30 billion despite earning a monthly salary of Sh 468,000.

Obel, who serves as the Commissioner for the Micro and Small Taxpayers Department at KRA, is alleged to have a history of accumulating unexplained wealth currently running into billions, particularly during his tenure as Chief Manager in the International Tax Office.

According to court documents seen by this scribe and filed before the Anti-Corruption Division by Nairobi resident Jemimah Wafula, the unexplained accumulation of wealth, said to be disproportionate to his monthly salary, prompted the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to launch investigations into how he amassed such wealth.

Wafula wants the High Court’s Anti-Corruption Division to prohibit the KRA chairman and its board of directors from granting Obell the responsibilities of Commissioner in charge of Small Taxpayers pending the hearing and determination of the case.

“Unless this matter is heard urgently, there is a risk of a continued breach of constitutional imperatives of ethics and integrity in public service by the Respondents jointly and severally by allowing Obell to oversee taxes yet he is under investigation for unexplained accumulation of wealth and unexplained receipt of a Clearance Certificate from the EACC,” urges Jemimah.

The court directed her to serve the KRA chairman together with the board, and the matter will be mentioned on May 4.

Obell is currently the Commissioner in charge of Small Taxpayers at the Kenya Revenue Authority, having served as a Chief Manager for the last 15 years, earning an average monthly salary of Sh468,000.

While the ARA and EACC were conducting their investigations, the KRA chairman allegedly promoted him to the position of Commissioner in charge of Small Taxpayers.

The court documents further state that the decision by the KRA chairman and board of directors to appoint him before the investigations are concluded “is a slap in the face of the Constitution.”

“Obell infiltrated EACC and obtained a document purporting to be a Clearance Certificate while the ARA and EACC are investigating Obell’s accumulation of billions of shillings as a junior officer,” Jemimah told the court.

The petition argues that KRA’s decision to appoint Obell is in “utter contempt” of the Constitution of Kenya, particularly provisions on integrity, given allegations that he accumulated wealth far beyond his known income as a Chief Manager.

“KRA’s decision to appoint Obell as a Commissioner in Charge of Small Taxpayers and leap frogged investigations of the ARA and EACC is an act of impunity,” says Jemimah.

She told the court that it is urgent and important that Obell’s appointment be revoked pending the conclusion of investigations into how he allegedly accumulated nearly Sh30 billion over a 20-year period on a monthly salary of Sh468,000.

Jemimah further claims that Obell has been boasting at social events, particularly in hotels in Nairobi’s Westlands area, that he funds political aspirants and hosts KRA board members at his rural home and at his Ciala Resort in Kisumu County.

“The visits by some Board of Directors members of KRA to Obell’s suspect assets including Ciala Resort for freebies without declaring is inappropriate,” she claims.