In a groundbreaking achievement, the government’s eCitizen platform has set a new record by amassing an impressive Sh903.6 million in a single day. The revelation comes from Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok, who disclosed that a significant portion of these transactions were in dollar denominations.
The surge in revenue can be attributed to the government’s strategic move of utilizing a unified Paybill number, 222222, for all public service payments. Bitok emphasized that this milestone is a direct result of President Ruto’s directive to state agencies to transition all their services to eCitizen by the year’s end.
Since the directive, the platform has seen a substantial increase, with over 14,000 services now accessible and payable through eCitizen. The National Treasury, under the leadership of Bitok, reported a remarkable uptick in collections, reaching Sh4.664 billion in November compared to Sh1.44 billion in June pre-directive.
Bitok highlighted the monthly figures, stating, “The amounts for July, August, and September were Sh2.362 billion, Sh3.63 billion, and Sh4.233 billion, respectively.”
One of the primary objectives behind the push for all state agencies to adopt eCitizen is to enhance revenue management and transparency while curbing leakages from multiple collection points. The government aims to consolidate all its services on the platform to streamline the collection process.
With over 11 million current users and an average daily addition of 5,000 new members, the eCitizen community continues to expand. This growth aligns with the continuous onboarding of new services onto the platform, contributing to the overall increase in daily revenue collection.
In a move to standardize payment platforms, the Cabinet directed ministries and government agencies to cease non-designated payment channels and exclusively use eCitizen with Paybill 222222 for all transactions. The deadline for this migration was initially set for August 8, 2023, but was later extended to December 31.
The eCitizen portal was officially gazetted as the government’s digital payments platform in December 2022, following the announcement by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njunguna Ndung’u. The program aims to boost revenue collection, reduce collection costs, and improve service delivery by facilitating online access to government services and electronic payments.
This momentous achievement positions eCitizen as a pivotal tool in the government’s pursuit of financial efficiency, transparency, and modernization in service provision. As the platform continues to evolve, its impact on revenue generation and public service accessibility is likely to be felt across diverse sectors, benefiting both citizens and businesses.
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