Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi has launched an aggressive revenue enhancement campaign aimed at doubling the county’s own-source revenue to at least Sh7 billion within two years, all without raising existing fees or levies. The county, which has long struggled with underperformance—collecting less than Sh3 billion annually—is rolling out a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to integrate services, plug leakages, and strengthen overall revenue management. As part of the initiative, the governor has deployed all County Executive Committee Members, Chief Officers, and departmental heads to monitor compliance and assess how revenue officers interact with traders and taxpayers across sub-counties.
The county’s renewed drive follows persistent concerns over weak systems, non-compliance, and widespread revenue theft, particularly in high-yield areas such as parking, building approvals, cess, and quarry fees. Recent audits by the County Assembly’s Finance and Economic Planning Committee revealed millions of shillings lost daily to corruption and inadequate collection structures. For instance, at the Bob Harris Road cess point in Juja, a single inspection uncovered losses of more than Sh100,000 per day, amounting to over Sh3 million monthly. Environment CECM David Kuria noted that the ongoing compliance exercise has already exposed rampant leakages and inefficiencies and emphasized the governor’s directive that officers engage traders respectfully while pushing for accurate, cashless collections.
According to a national study on counties’ own-source revenue potential, devolved units collectively lose up to Sh185 billion annually due to corruption, weak systems, and evasion—collecting only Sh31 billion out of an estimated Sh216 billion potential. In Kiambu, Governor Wamatangi has already revised the current financial year’s revenue target from Sh4.1 billion to Sh5 billion, setting the stage for his longer-term goal of reaching Sh7 billion. The ongoing reforms—which include technology upgrades, new tracking systems, and direct engagement with taxpayers—aim to restore public trust, reduce theft, and create a predictable revenue base. County officials say the initiative will support better service delivery, sustainable development, and a fair business environment as Kiambu works to regain what the governor calls its rightful place as an economic powerhouse.