Kenya’s Auditor-General, Nancy Gathungu, has revealed that at least Sh144 million collected through the e-Citizen platform cannot be traced. This raises serious concerns about possible fraud in this online payment system.
This problem came to light after a thorough examination showed differences between what the government records say and the digital receipts. This has made people question the reliability of this online service.
In a statement issued earlier today, the Auditor-General’s office pointed out that the missing money was found during an audit of revenue collected by different government agencies through the e-Citizen platform.
This platform is used for making payments for public services like licenses, permits, and other fees.
The issue has led to worries about possible theft or poor management, especially as Kenya is trying to digitize its government operations.
“This is a serious problem that needs immediate investigation,” said an official from the Auditor-General’s office, who wished to remain anonymous.
“The differences between what was recorded and what was actually received show there are weaknesses in the system that could be taken advantage of.”
The e-Citizen platform was created to make service delivery easier and improve transparency.
However, these new findings add to previous criticisms of the system, such as limited government oversight and too much control given to private companies.
So far, neither the Ministry of Information, Communications, and Technology nor the Treasury has responded quickly to these findings.
People on social media have reacted strongly, showing frustration and calling for accountability. Some have suggested that the missing funds point to deeper problems in how the platform is managed.
