Governor Natembeya was absent during the meeting, prompting Senator Chesang (Trans Nzoia) to probe the county’s revenue collection process. He raised concerns about the involvement of County Executive Committee Members (CECs) in revenue collection
The Senate Standing Committee on Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) has summoned Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya to address allegations of public fund mismanagement. This follows revelations that the county lost Ksh 1.3 million through revenue collection via an illegal pay bill number. The issue was uncovered during the committee’s inquiry into the status of IFMIS and other county revenue management systems.
The Senator Allan Chesang-led committee termed the incident an economic crime, urging the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to launch a formal investigation. Governor Natembeya was absent during the meeting, prompting Senator Chesang (Trans Nzoia) to probe the county’s revenue collection process. He raised concerns about the involvement of County Executive Committee Members (CECs) in revenue collection.
“We would like your technical person to show us the list of revenue collectors. We have seen Trans Nzoia CECs collecting revenue,” Chesang remarked.
Responding on behalf of the governor, Deputy County Secretary Boniface Wanyonyi clarified that CECs were not directly collecting revenue. Instead, they oversaw operations under the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) to enhance compliance during a specific period when members of staff were barred from collecting revenue.
Businesses were encouraged to fulfill their payment obligations under this initiative, Wanyonyi explained. The ICT Committee has since directed the Trans Nzoia County Executive to submit all relevant documentation within three days. Senator Beatrice Ogolla expressed concerns about the county’s lack of readiness to integrate its revenue management system with IFMIS, emphasizing the need to prevent revenue leakages.
Adding to this, Senator Cherarkey urged counties to collaborate with the Council of Governors and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to develop robust integrated revenue systems. He criticized Trans Nzoia for falling short of its revenue potential, stating:
“The county is performing poorly, collecting only Ksh 500 million against its revenue potential of Ksh 1.3 billion as projected by the Commission on Revenue Allocation.”
The committee’s findings could mark a pivotal moment in improving accountability and revenue collection practices in Trans Nzoia County.
