Kenyans have irregularly paid over Ksh2.1 billion through the Ksh50 transaction fee charged to access government services through the Government Digital Payments Platform (eCitizen), according to a new audit. According to the Special Report on eCitizen published in March, the government illegally upcharged the transaction fees contrary to directives issued in Gazette Notice No. 9290/2014 dated December 23, 2014.
The audit found that instead of charging a nominal administrative fee per transaction as gazetted, which was to be a prorated percentage of the amounts paid, the National Treasury has continued to charge a convenience fee of Ksh50 per transaction.
eCitizen, which was launched in 2017 and rapidly expanded in 2022 after President William Ruto's ascent to power, irregularly collected over Ksh1.8 billion from the public during the period before January 23, 2023.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu speaking at a conference on Monday, April 24, 2023.
