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Parliament committee probes Ksh9.4B diversion from e-Citizen platform

Parliament committee probes Ksh9.4B diversion from e-Citizen platform
Tindi Mwale during a PAC session. PHOTO/https://www.facebook.com/Parliament of Kenya

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Tindi Mwale, Butere MP, has announced plans to meet heads of seven entities as it investigates the claimed diversion of billions of shillings from the Government Digital Payment Platform, eCitizen.

Mwale made the announcement on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, while engaging Principal Secretaries Chris Kiptoo (National Treasury), Belio Kipsang (Immigration and Citizen Services), and John Tanui (ICT and the Digital Economy) over the Auditor-General’s special audit report on the platform.

According to the report, Ksh9.4 billion was irregularly funnelled from eCitizen. It details how the funds were diverted and paid to private entities.

The committee has invited heads of seven entities, including the Office of the Attorney General and Equity Bank, to explain how the funds were moved out of the system. Other entities of interest include Pesa Flow Limited, Goldrock Limited, Olive Media Limited, Webmasters Kenya, and Electronic Citizen Solutions.

“We expect the entities to give their side of the story and explain how they were licensed to collect funds from Kenyans, how approvals were granted, the amounts they are holding, and any possible diversion,” said Mwale.

Belio Kipsang and Chris Kiptoo during the PAC session. PHOTO/https://www.facebook.com/Parliament of Kenya
Belio Kipsang and Chris Kiptoo during the PAC session. PHOTO/https://www.facebook.com/Parliament of Kenya

Govt assures platform control

The Auditor-General’s report also expressed concern that the government does not have full control of the platform, relying instead on a vendor.

“Noting that the majority of government services are provided through the platform, control by the vendor creates a single point of failure,” the report, tabled in the House on April 2, 2025, stated in part.

Facebook post by Parliament. PHOTO/Screengrab by People Daily Digital
Facebook post by Parliament. PHOTO/Screengrab by People Daily Digital

During the session, PS Kiptoo assured the committee that the platform is wholly owned by the government under a handover agreement signed in January 2023. He explained that he, together with his counterparts from the State Department of ICT and the State Department of Immigration, signed the agreement.

“As per the agreement, the vendor agreed to completely and unconditionally hand over the eCitizen platform to the Government of Kenya,” said PS Kiptoo, who made a presentation to the Committee on behalf of his colleagues.

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Kenneth Mwenda

Kenneth Mwenda is a business, sports, and politics digital writer with over seven years of experience in journalism, covering breaking news, feature stories, and in-depth analysis across a range of beats.

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