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Faced with a marked decline in local revenue, Members of the Nairobi County Assembly have launched a comprehensive investigation into the city’s revenue collection systems.
Operating under standing order No.211, the ad hoc committee aims to unravel the complexities of existing systems, identifying weaknesses and strengths, scrutinizing organizational structures, assessing the capabilities of revenue collectors, and engaging key stakeholders.
Chaired by Makongeni MCA, who also serves as the majority leader, the committee has commenced meetings with pivotal witnesses, including County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) for Finance and ICT, County Officials, and service providers like Web Tribe (Jambo Pay), National Bank (Noveta), and KRA (Nairobi Pay). This proactive approach extends to reaching out to numerous other witnesses to shed light on the pressing issues surrounding revenue collection.
“We are deeply concerned to discover that the revenue systems have remained unaudited since their automation in 2013, hindering an accurate determination of the actual revenue collected. Furthermore, the ownership and administration details of Nairobi Pay are shrouded in mystery, intensifying our concerns,” expressed Imwatok.
Highlighting the absence of a documented agreement between the Nairobi City County Government and Nairobi Pay, the Ward representatives underscored claims suggesting unidentified officials from the National Government may be in control of the revenue system.
“We would like to assure the citizens of Nairobi that the committee is steadfast and committed to uncovering the truth behind the issues bewildering the collection of revenue in Nairobi. We also would like to call upon Nairobians and Kenyans at large to embrace their patriotism and volunteer any information that they may have regarding this matter. We urge all the witnesses to cooperate and respond to the committee’s invitations to help shed light on different issues,” Imwatok told journalists at City Hall on Thursday.
The MCAs issued a stern caution against any attempts to frustrate or interfere with the committeeโs man
They announced a Public Forum scheduled for the 13th and 14th of December 2023 at Charter Hall, inviting public input to address and overcome the obstacles presented by the revenue collection issues.