BY MARION KANARI

Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi has set an ambitious Kshs 8B own source revenue collection target for the County Government of Kiambu for the 2025/26 Financial Year, which follows achievement of Kshs5.45B revenue collected in the just concluded 2024/25 Financial Year.

During a County Revenue Stakeholders Conference, the Governor noted that Kshs 5.45B was achieved through automation of revenue collection through the Enterprise Resource Planning system, an initiative of the directorate of ICT.

For the first time, Kshs 5.45B raised as OSR in KIambu under the leadership of Governor Kimani Wamatangi

“Two years into this administration, we have unveiled a revenue collection of Kshs 5.45B, that is an 86% increment without increasing levies, fees or taxes,” said Governor Wamatangi.

Through the system, traders can pay for the now Unified Business Permits, market fees, cess, quarry, parking, County tourism sites entry and slaughter houses fees via the *476# USSD conveniently through their phones.

County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Finance, ICT and Economic Planning Nancy Kirumba reiterated that automation of the revenue collection system improved revenue and performance, which in turn delivered impactful development projects.

CECM Kirumba further committed that the Department of Finance would provide technical and operational support required by municipalities and other County departments to achieve the Kshs 8B target in the coming financial year.

KIambu County CECM Finance Nancy Kirumba

According to CECM Kirumba the target is a foundation for service delivery, development and fiscal sustainability of the County, which requires deliberate and coordinated efforts.

In the 2024/2025 Financial Year, Governor Wamatangi’s administration in efforts to make Kiambu Great again, redirected revenue in the Department of Education to building and furnishing 309 Early Childhood Development Education Centers (ECDEs) that include PP1 and PP2 classes, kitchenette, ablution block and play area, a feeding program for 50,000 ECDE kids and training of ECDE teachers to diploma levels.

“Besides collecting revenue, we are putting the money to areas of importance in service to the people,” said Governor Wamatangi.

Governor Kimani Wamatangi during the Revenue Workshop at County HQ

The County Department of Health has completed six (6) new 180 bed capacity level IV hospitals, 26 level III hospitals and up scaled 28 former dispensaries to level III hospitals across the 12 municipalities.

The Health Department has also capped supply of drugs at County pharmacies to a minimum of 85%, equipped level II and III hospitals with computers, installed a Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) under the ERP for easier and convenient hospital operations including revenue collection, patient registry, biometrics, appointments and consultations, hospitals procurement, accounts, records and insurance reports among others.

Coincidentally, the Department of Health had the highest revenue collection in the 2024/25FY of Kshs 1.8B, with Thika Level V Hospital leading with Kshs 242M, Kiambu level V at Kshs 192M and Level II and III hospitals at Kshs 85.4M.

The Department of Lands, Physical Planning and Municipal Administration collected 1.7B, with Ruiru Municipality recording the highest improvement of 74% at Kshs Kshs 602M with Thika Municipality leading with a collection of Kshs 622M, and Juja recording Kshs 544M.

The Department of Trade, Industrialization, Tourism and Investments was the most improved in revenue collection following the automation of fees and levies and introduction of the Unified Business Permit, which has consolidated single business permits, public health, solid waste & fire making it easier for traders to pay for licenses.

While setting the Kshs 8B Own Source Revenue target for the County, Governor Wamatangi further noted that service delivery to the people has also extended working hours to almost 24/7 after the successful implementation of phase one of the Angaza Kiambu program which has seen the installation of 4,000 solar streetlights in all the 60 wards.

Meanwhile, a new batch of 4,000 solar lights installation – phase 2 – is underway and the Department of Utilities and Public Works has planned and budgeted this project. The County also has plans to solarize county boreholes, ECDEs and County premises. The County was paying an annual power bill of Kshs 700 million, and adoption of green energy has gone a long way in lowering this cost.

County Revenue Authority Chair Mburu Kangethe informed the revenue stakeholders that achieving the OSR target was evidence of a system that worked, a team that delivered and a county that was steadily maturing in fiscal discipline and accountability.

Mburu Kangethe, Chair Revenue Authority

Kiambu County Assembly Speaker Charles Thiong’o while asserting the assembly legislative support challenged the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) to include Own Source Revenue as a determining factor in County revenue allocations.

Speaker Wakili Thiongo introduces MCAs during the revenue workshop at the County HQ

Although the County has achieved a first in Own Source Revenue since the advent of devolution, and is also in the journey towards collecting Kshs 8B, CRA caps Kiambu County Revenue Potential at 13.95B.

During the KIambu Revenue Workshop where Kshs 5.45B was collected in the FY 2024/25