A critical probe by Kenya's National Assembly has cast a spotlight on the government's eCitizen platform, raising alarming questions that echo a frustrated public outcry: "Where is the money?" Concerns are escalating rapidly over substantial amounts of public revenue reportedly failing to reach the official Treasury accounts at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), despite recommendations to fix systemic flaws dating as far back as 2017.
The National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), under the astute chairmanship of Butere MP Tindi Mwale, has taken decisive action, issuing a summons for Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo. This urgent summons, delivered on Tuesday, aims to compel the PS to provide a comprehensive explanation for the discrepancies and the persistent failure of collected funds to reflect in designated government accounts.
This critical examination by PAC came to light as the committee meticulously reviewed the 2022/23 Auditor General’s report concerning the State Law Office. The audit revealed that while the office collected Sh116.83 million from just 15 of the 34 gazetted marriage centers, a glaring lack of records plagued the remaining 19 centers due to their failure to submit periodic revenue reports. The report specifically noted that gazetted Deputy County Commissioners and Assistant County Commissioners, who conduct and register civil marriages, failed to provide the necessary financial data by the end of the financial year, June 30, 2023.
The gravity of the situation became undeniably clear when Solicitor General Shadrack Mose appeared before the committee. Mose, surprisingly, admitted to having no access to reports or records from the Treasury detailing the amounts collected through eCitizen for services rendered, such as marriage certificates. His candid admission, "eCitizen does not give us a report," underscored a significant transparency gap within the system. Committee Chairman Mwale swiftly expressed dissatisfaction with these responses, asserting the imperative for PS Kiptoo's direct appearance to provide the much-needed clarity. "The PS must come and shed more light on this matter because it is an issue that affects government departments,” Mwale stated emphatically.
This issue, however, is not a new revelation. It has been consistently flagged in previous Auditor General reports, with the PAC itself having previously issued strong recommendations for the Treasury to streamline operations and enhance transparency on the eCitizen platform. Yet, the palpable frustration among Members of Parliament stems from the consistent failure to implement these crucial proposals, leaving the integrity of the system vulnerable.
Turkana MP Joseph Namwar voiced his deep skepticism, directly questioning the integrity of the eCitizen system and accusing senior officials of potentially abusing the platform. His pointed concern, "It is not clear whether the money collected through the eCitizen platform ends at the Exchequer accounts," resonated widely. Adding to the chorus of concern, Aldai MP Marianne Kitany asserted that the issue exposes "deep flaws in the government’s payment system" and strongly endorsed the summons for PS Kiptoo. Kitany also crucially demanded to know the exact domicile of the eCitizen platform, hinting at concerns over its operational oversight.
The alarming lack of action was further underscored by Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, who highlighted that recommendations to fix the system were formulated as early as 2017. "The National Treasury needed to have acted on this matter way back in 2017. 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," Amollo emphasized, demanding immediate accountability for the delay.
