Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday, October 26 exposed how some government officials were manipulating digital revenue collection systems to siphon taxpayers’ money.
In a statement, EACC noted that senior officials collude with other experts to build revenue management systems with automated loopholes that are used to divert funds.
The systems which the anti-graft body argued were introduced to increase efficiency in revenue collection, are now being used to award irregular tenders.
“Whereas deployment of integrated revenue management systems in our counties is aimed at enhancing efficiency and accountability, the systems are increasingly being manipulated to divert public funds to private individuals through collusion involving Governors, senior county officials, and companies providing the revenue management service,” EACC stated.
“In this emerging pattern of automated looting of public funds, contracts for revenue management systems are designed with inbuilt corruption ranging from irregular tender awards favouring entities linked to county officials to fraudulent dealings within the automated systems,” the commission added.
In some counties, the revenue systems are entirely controlled by private entities while in others, officials run parallel revenue systems.
Reports also point to senior county officials altering revenue data to divert funds to private bank accounts.
According to EACC, Nairobi, Kilifi, Kajiado, and Narok are among the county governments with serious accountability deficits in their revenue management systems.
“The Commission is taking appropriate action in accordance with its mandate,” EACC announced.
