NAIROBI, Kenya — The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) is rolling out a real-time monitoring system for all county-linked bank accounts in a major push to tighten oversight of public funds and curb corruption at the devolved level.
Deputy CBK Governor Susan Koech told the Senate that the bank has begun implementing the Granular Data Integration (GDI) platform, which will give CBK unprecedented visibility into county financial activity, including account balances, transactions, and suspicious activity such as abrupt closures or unusual transfers.
“We are uploading all Payment Service Providers and bank data into the system,” said Koech. “Once complete, we will be able to see account movements across counties in real time.”
All Payment Service Providers have already been onboarded, with full integration of commercial banks expected by the end of October.
Once operational, the platform will allow CBK to pinpoint which accounts belong to which county governments and monitor them instantly, rather than waiting for periodic reports.
Enhanced Oversight Through Technology
The GDI system is part of a sweeping digital reform agenda at the CBK aimed at bringing transparency and integrity to public finance.
The bank is also preparing to launch a revamped T24 core banking system in August, which will directly link the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) to banks.
This will automate supplier payments and eliminate manual interference.
“One of the faults of the current system is that the Controller of Budget approves a payment for a supplier, but the accounting officer pays someone else. With the new system, that will no longer be possible,” CBK Governor Kamau Thugge told Senators.
Koech added that the platform will lock out unauthorized changes and create a full digital trail for each transaction, from approval to disbursement.
“If supplier A is to be paid, the process will move from IFMIS straight to the online platform, and that’s the supplier who gets paid. This eliminates cherry-picking,” she said.
Counties to Retain Sub-Accounts—But Under Tighter Control
While counties will still be allowed to maintain sub-accounts—for example, for bursaries or health services—they will now be required to operate these through the Treasury Single Account framework and report them through the centralized system.
The reforms come amid heightened scrutiny of county finances.
A recent report by Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o showed that while counties paid Sh34 billion in pending bills between July 2024 and March 2025, the overall debt only dropped by Sh9.4 billion due to continued accumulation of new unpaid bills.
The CBK believes the new digital platforms will be a game-changer in enforcing fiscal discipline.
“These tools will bring transparency, accountability, and integrity into how public funds are managed,” said Koech, “while sealing loopholes that allow misuse and political interference.”
