Murang’a county governor Irungu Kang’ata has lauded the automation of revenue collection systems for enhanced service delivery.
With automation, Kang’ata noted the county has been able to increase its revenue, thus helping in boosting provision of services especially in the key sectors.
The governor who spoke during the second annual status of the county address at the county assembly said the local residents have embraced automation of collection of revenue.
“Our residents have demonstrated a high level of patriotism by paying county taxes. This patriotism and confidence in the current administration has been demonstrated by the performance of local revenue collection,” said Kang’ata.
He continued “We have recorded an upward trajectory in local revenue collection since the onset of the current administration. For example, in the financial year 2021/22 revenue collected was approximately Sh520 million but after automation of the process, in the financial year 2023/24 collected revenue increased to Sh1.116 billion.”
Kang’ata further said in the current financial year, they have collected Sh591 million up to March 16, 2025 saying the amount has increased by 13 percent, compared to the same period last financial year.
The county has automated revenue collection including in the collection of parking payments, markets cess, quarry, building permits and lands, medical facilities and liquor levies.
“The county has also automated its own staff human resource management including leave, promotions. We have also a clock in system that we are piloting with chief officers. The county also has a mobile fleet management system which has helped reduce fuel costs,” he added.
He said that his administration is currently implementing on pilot basis Geo-spatial technology that will form the umbrella for all these technologies.
Kang’ata further noted the county government has introduced telemedicine services to reduce long distances patients have to travel to seek medical services for chronic ailments such as cancer and diabetes.
“Telemedicine has turned out to be one of our most popular programmes as it has saved patients time and money. To ensure sustainability of the programme, the county has been requesting for co-contribution from the patients in the programme,” he remarked.
To support telemedicine, the governor observed that they have placed machines in key strategic facilities.
“These machines include hematology machines that check blood levels, biochemistry machines that check kidney and liver functions, X-ray and ultrasound machines; therefore, providing state of the art service in deep rural areas of the county,” he added.
Kang’ata urged the national government to help his administration to survey, beacon and title formerly Del Monte land that was shelved for county government.
The county assembly further passed a master plan intending to establish an industrial city saying the county is planning a mega investors’ conference in May 2025.
“But without these processes including national lands commission support, this land might not be ready for investors,” he said.
The governor further asked the government to streamline the Social Health Authority (SHA) so as to enhance service delivery in the health sector.
He noted the KangataCare programme which benefits the less fortunate in the county is currently tied to SHA.
“Further, the county hospitals depend on SHA reimbursements to survive. SHA also owes Murang’a county money from the defunct NHIF. Without adequate reimbursements or debt repayments, the county struggles to buy medicines and restock its medical supplies.” he divulged.
Kang’ata also expressed concerns after the Controller of Budget issued a circular early this year stopping counties from issuing bursaries.
He said after the county assembly gave a legal mandate for the county government to support bursaries as a welfare programme, where thousands of poor children from the county have benefited from bursaries.
“Unless we find a solution to this, ward based bursary beneficiaries estimated at 35,000, Inua Masomo programme with 8,000 beneficiaries; University fees support for day scholars who get university admission grades after passing KCSE with 1,200 beneficiaries and the 1, 400 students under Nyota Zetu scholarship programme, might stop schooling,” stated Kang’ata.
He said his administration, apart from joining a case that was filed in Nakuru petitioning against the county bursaries, will send a delegation to meet the Cabinet Secretary for Education to try and negotiate for an intergovernmental agreement.
By Bernard Munyao and Alex Ndegwa
