NAIROBI, Kenya – The National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has summoned Treasury Principal Secretary Dr. Chris Kiptoo to explain why billions of shillings collected through the government’s eCitizen platform are not reflecting in official accounts at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
The summons were issued on Tuesday after Solicitor General Shadrack Mose failed to provide crucial financial records from the platform, particularly revenue collected by the State Law Office through services such as marriage certificates.
“eCitizen does not give us a report,” Mose told the committee, sparking outrage among lawmakers.
PAC Chairperson Tindi Mwale (Butere MP) said the committee was dissatisfied with Mose’s appearance and insisted that PS Kiptoo must personally account for the Treasury’s role in the platform’s opaque revenue flow.
“The PS must come and shed more light on this matter because it is an issue that affects government departments,” Mwale said.
Sh44.8 Billion in Questionable Revenue
The Auditor-General’s 2022/23 report revealed that the State Law Office collected Sh116.83 million from only 15 out of 34 gazetted marriage centres, while 19 centres failed to submit any revenue reports.
The audit flagged a lack of internal controls and noted that the total amount collected via eCitizen from some departments remains unknown.
The issue has revived long-standing concerns about the governance and transparency of the eCitizen platform, first flagged in PAC recommendations dating back to 2017, which have not been acted upon.
“There are so many queries on this eCitizen platform, and all we want to do is issue a special letter to the National Treasury to explain why it has not acted on the recommendations of PAC,” said Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo.
MPs Raise Red Flags Over Digital Revenue Gaps
PAC members expressed growing concern that billions in public funds collected via eCitizen could be slipping through the cracks.
Turkana MP Joseph Namwar questioned whether the funds actually make it to the Exchequer accounts, while Aldai MP Marianne Kitany demanded full disclosure on the platform’s ownership and data control.
“There are cases of billions of public funds being held at the eCitizen. Its reporting mechanism is wanting,” said Kitany.
A recent report by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu estimated that Sh44.8 billion collected through the platform remains unaccounted for, with the government relying heavily on private vendors who control core system functions, including onboarding services and platform updates.
“Lack of full control of the system exposes the government to the risk of revenue leakages, lack of accountability, system downtime, and security vulnerabilities,” Gathungu warned.
Systemic Weaknesses Undermine Public Trust
The Auditor-General’s findings show that Deputy County Commissioners (DCCs) and Assistant County Commissioners (ACCs) — tasked with registering civil marriages — failed to file financial returns for the year ending June 30, 2023, raising serious accountability questions.
The revelations are the latest blow to the government’s digital revenue collection drive and cast fresh doubt on the effectiveness of eCitizen — a platform hailed as a pillar of Kenya’s digital governance transformation.
With PS Kiptoo now set to face lawmakers, the spotlight is on Treasury to explain what happened to the missing billions — and what measures are in place to protect public revenue from digital mismanagement.
