Kiambu own-source revenue hits record Sh6.5bn after digital overhaul
Key points
- Kiambu reports own-source revenue rising from roughly Sh2.9bn to a record Sh6.5bn.
- Officials credit digital collection and automation for the leap.
- Higher own-source cash can fund services — if leakage and patronage do not reclaim it.
One county just showed what digitised collections can do. Eastleigh Voice reports Kiambu County’s own-source revenue has climbed from about Sh2.9 billion to a record Sh6.5 billion after an overhaul of digital payment and collection systems.
Own-source revenue is the money counties raise themselves — licenses, rates, fees — rather than waiting only on national transfers. Doubling-plus that stream matters for hospitals, roads and predictability when Exchequer releases delay.
Automation is not the end of the story
Systems reduce cash leakage at the counter, but political interference, procurement waste and weak audit can still empty the till. Residents should demand public dashboards: which streams grew, who paid, and where the money was spent.
Other counties will copy the software story; few will copy the discipline unless governors treat revenue as service fuel, not campaign war chest.
County contacts: directory.
Figures as publicly reported by local media; confirm against county fiscal statements.