Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson defended the county’s Nairobi Pay digital revenue collection platform, telling senators it has greatly strengthened revenue mobilization and could be replicated by other counties nationwide.
While appearing before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee, Sakaja said Nairobi Pay was procured through a government-to-government process and belongs to the Government of Kenya. He said it was branded “Nairobi Pay” to make it easier for residents to recognize and use when paying for county services.
“This is among the best systems I can recommend. It allows us to monitor revenue from all collection channels in real time and has been central to raising Nairobi’s revenue from Sh8 billion when we assumed office to Sh13.8 billion in the financial year ending June 2025,” Sakaja told the committee.
The governor said the platform has helped remove inefficiencies tied to earlier systems and improved accountability through digital payments. He said Nairobi Pay has performed better than previous platforms and expressed openness to scrutiny by the Auditor-General.
“It is good for the Auditor-General to compare the systems. They will see that Nairobi Pay is far superior to what was in place before. We are confident because it has strengthened digital revenue collection and reduced leakages,” he said.
Sakaja also disclosed that other counties, including Nyandarua, had already taken up the platform, saying it could help counties facing low revenue collection improve their results.
His comments were backed by Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo Wambua, who said that if an audit confirms the system is effective, the Senate could recommend its adoption by other county governments to help close revenue leakages.
“If the system is as effective as Nairobi County says it is, then after the audit process the Senate can advise other county governments to consider adopting it to improve revenue collection,” Wambua said.
Committee Vice Chairperson Mwashushe Mwaruma, who chaired the session on behalf of the committee chair, directed Nairobi County to submit more details on how the system was acquired and how effective it has been. The committee gave the county 14 days to answer concerns and demonstrate the platform’s value before making further recommendations.