The Kiambu county government collected Sh3.6 billion in own source revenue in the last financial year, representing a 12 percent increase.

According to a report by the Department of Revenue, the revenue raised in the financial year ending June 30 surpassed the previous year’s total collection of Sh3.1 billion by Sh485 million .

Governor Kimani Wamatangi, however, said although the collection which represents a 72 percent performance level of the Sh5 billion set target, is the highest to be ever by the county, it is still low given the county capacity is Sh13 billion.

He has already set a target of Sh 7.9 billion for the 2023/2024 financial year, in which he set an annual budget of Sh22 billion.

Former Governor James Nyoro had set a target of Sh4.4 billion, but when Wamatangi took over on August 27, 2022 – two months into the last financial year, he revised it upwards to Sh 5 billion.

“Though there was improvement in the period given that we were in the electioneering period and the transition effects, this is not a figure that we can celebrate. In fact, I can confidently say that we collected over Sh 5 billion but about 30 percent was lost to unscrupulous officials and a manipulation of the system,

We also have several other people who never paid and that is they have assured our people that we are going to hit the Sh7.9 billion target without increasing existing fees and levies. Government surveyed collection capacity is Sh13.9 billion,” Wamatangi stated.

His administration, he adds, in a bid to boost revenue will be banking on a new enterprise resource system (ERP) currently under installation, and which is a holistic system that covers management of finances in all the sectors such as hospital management, building approvals, business permits and other revenue charges, as well as exploring more revenue streams.

From the figures approximately Sh2.5 billion was collected in the last two quarters in the financial year (January to June), when the county surpassed set targets in some of the months.

Sh1.31 billion was raised in January, February and March against a set target of Sh1.25 billion, meaning the county hit the target by about Sh100 million while Sh1.51 billion was collected in April, May and June.
In July, August and September period, Sh 534 million was realized against a target of Sh 1.25 billion target while in October, November and December Sh 585 million was raised when Wamatangi was grappling with transition intrigues.