Nairobi County has witnessed a noteworthy surge in internal revenue amounting to KES 951.2 million during the first half of the 2023–2024 financial year, as reported by the county’s finance department.
Under the leadership of Governor Johnson Sakaja, the administration successfully generated KES 3.56 billion from July to December 2023, marking a substantial increase from the previous Financial Year 2022-2023 figure of KES 2.61 billion.
Over the past six months, all internal revenue streams experienced growth, except for markets, which saw a decline in the assessed period. Parking fees led in collections with KES 872.69 million, followed by land rates at KES 655.8 million, single business permits at KES 426.88 million, building permits at KES 541.35 million, and billboards and advertisements contributing KES 244.74 million.
Collections from house rent amounted to KES 233.13 million, fire inspection certificates at KES 38.32 million, food handler certificates at KES 51.99 million, markets at KES 100.35 million, and other income totaling KES 431.11 million.
Governor Sakaja attributed the revenue increase to the complete digitization of all revenue streams and the implementation of a strict cashless policy at City Hall. During a media interview, he urged residents to report any county staff soliciting cash payments and provided a hotline (020 2224281) for reporting such instances.
For revenue payers, the governor advised visiting the NairobiPay e-service portal (www.nairobiservices.go.ke), City Hall Annexe customer service center offices, or any sub-county finance offices for further clarification. Payments made through USSD Number *647# were directed to Cooperative Bank or Equity Bank under specific accounts.
Sakaja highlighted the ongoing transition to the Nairobi City County Revenue Administration Authority, emphasizing its role in revenue collection.
The Revenue Administration Act, enacted in 2019 and approved in 2021, will be enforced by the authority, and the introduction of the Unified Business Permit is expected to boost revenue projections.
The authority is set to commence full operations this year, with a dedicated board and a chief executive officer overseeing revenue collection.
On January 1, 2024, City Hall activated the electronic Unified Business Permit regime, streamlining various licenses into one accessible through the NairobiPay Revenue service online portal.
The UBP eliminates the issuance of multiple licenses and incorporates security features to prevent counterfeit permits. This initiative is part of Governor Sakaja’s commitment to ease-of-doing business reforms.
