Government Officials on Radar for Diverting eCitizen Revenue

The government has issued a stern warning to the top executives of state-owned agencies, cautioning them that their positions are at risk if they are found to be redirecting funds from the eCitizen platform.

The Principal Secretary of Immigration and Citizen Services Julius Bitok has announced that the government will respond decisively to address a notable disparity between the revenue collected and the amount reported on the online platform. Bitok delivered these comments on Tuesday, highlighting a substantial surge in daily revenues from around 60 million to 250-300 million. Nevertheless, this growth does not meet the government's projections, as there is presumed to be a greater capacity for revenue generation.

“The revenues have gone up from around 60m per day to around 250-300M per day. But the story is not consistent with what the government wants. We have realized that we have a higher potential than that,” Bitok said on Tuesday.

During a speech at Mlolongo, Machakos County, the Principal Secretary disclosed that a thorough examination of the potential earnings from the 11,000 services available on eCitizen, in comparison to the declared amounts, suggests that there is a misappropriation of funds. Bitok attributed this difference to the continued practice of using cash for payments, which contradicts President William Ruto's instruction that all government service payments should be made through the paybill number 222222.

The PS made these remarks while speaking to representatives from various Ministries, Corporations, Departments, and Agencies (MCDAs). The Treasury has reported that the revenue generated on eCitizen has experienced a consistent rise in accordance with the President's directives. Last month, the amount collected reached an impressive Sh4, 664 billion, compared to the Sh1.44 billion collected in June. July saw a collection of Sh2.36 billion, followed by the Sh2.36 billion in August, and a noteworthy increase to Sh3.636 billion in September.