In law school, Mwathi Kitonga had set a target of lifetime pursuit of human rights and public interest ventures in her quest to be superstar lawyer.
She was not keen on shepherding deals in wood-paneled rooms where lucrative commercial and private equity dealmaking was creating a new breed of entrepreneurial fee earners.
“I have always had the belief that the law will somehow change someone’s life even if it’s not directly. From my younger days when I started doing law, after school, my first job had to do with directly impacting children who had conflict with the law,” she says.
“Even my work today will end up impacting the normal citizen in terms of putting back money into the economy.”
"My research will definitely help in terms of policy interventions, educational awareness and help the maritime authorities in Kenya."
Mwathi cut her legal teeth at the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), rising through the ranks to become deputy CEO.
She counts her biggest impact in the journey facilitating access to justice, especially representing children and women.
But her public interest drive is now playing out at the Tax Appeals Tribunal (TAT) where she is the chief executive.
The tribunal is a quasi-judicial unit that accelerates the resolution of tax disputes between firms and investors on one side and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) on the other.
The Tribunal seeks to unlock billions of shillings in taxes that would be locked in lengthy disputes at the courts.
In terms of tax collected as a proportion of annual economic output, Kenya has been underperforming other nations like South Africa.
To shore up revenue, the State before last year proposed a raft of tax increases in spending proposals that angered citizens, triggering deadly protests.
Mwathi sees her unit as one that can help Kenya unlock billions of shillings in taxes without triggering protests.
She is a law scholar having completed a Master of Law from the University of Kent and now pursuing a PhD in Environmental Law at the University of Nairobi.
“My research will definitely help in terms of policy interventions, educational awareness and help the maritime authorities in Kenya.”
Her impacts extend beyond career as she mentors young and aspiring lawyers while engaging in speaking opportunities.
–Kepha Muiruri