Nairobi County schemes top-notch revenue collection agency

Nairobi will soon have its own revenue collection agency akin to the Kenya Revenue Authority if a new Bill is passed into law.

The 2019 Nairobi City County Revenue Administration Bill is pushing for the establishment of the Nairobi City County Revenue Authority, which will be in charge of collecting, receiving and accounting for revenue on behalf of the administration of Governor Mike Sonko.

The Bill, which is now in its First Reading stage, proposes the closure of the existing revenue office as well as gives the Executive the authority to absorb the current revenue officers into the authority.

Kariobangi South MCA Robert Mbatia (right), who is the mover of the Bill, said the County Revenue Authority would be headed by a County Revenue administrator.

He said if successful, the authority’s first order of business would be to register and keep records of revenue payers in the county.

The draft Bill further states that once registered, revenue payers would be given a revenue identification number, whereas the authority would adopt an integrated collection system for purposes of ensuring effective and efficient administration of public money.

“Our aim is to seal all the revenue collection loopholes and ensure that all challenges attributed to revenue collection are addressed,” said Mbatia.

Mbatia, who doubles up as the Budget and Appropriations Committee chairman, observed that money received from the payers would be deposited in the County Revenue Fund.

The agency would also be charged with assessing revenue payable to the county where applicable, advising the Finance executive on all matters relating to the administration and enforcement of revenue laws.

The Bill is due for its Second Reading after the assembly resumes sitting in June amid fears it would render revenue officers jobless.