Senators Order Probe into Trans Nzoia County Revenue Loss

The County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) has raised concern over the sharp decline in revenue collection in Trans Nzoia County and directed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate possible theft of funds.

The move came after Governor George Natembeya admitted that his administration had failed to match the revenue collection targets previously achieved by the defunct local authorities.

It was revealed that in the 2024/25 financial year, the county’s own source revenue dropped by Sh22 million. While the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) places Trans Nzoia’s revenue potential at Sh4.7 billion — with Sh2.2 billion from health facilities and Sh2.5 billion from other streams — the county only collected Sh173 million, far below its budget target of Sh673 million.

Governor Natembeya attributed the poor performance to the transition to a new revenue collection system. “The under collection was due to the introduction of the new revenue collection system,” he said.

But the explanation did not convince the Committee. Senators pressed the Governor for a clearer answer, with Natembeya suggesting that some revenue officers may have been pocketing public funds. “There is a huge possibility that my revenue officers were collecting money and pocketing,” he said, adding that positions in the revenue department are highly sought after by staff.

Committee chair Senator Moses Kajwang’ directed EACC to step in and investigate. “EACC must conduct intervention to determine whether the revenue was collected. If it was collected, where the money ended up,” he said.

He further ordered the Office of the Auditor General to write to the vendor of the county’s new system and give them a chance to defend themselves against allegations of aiding revenue loss. “If they are found culpable, then a recommendation for their debarment should be explored,” Kajwang’ said, noting that revenue system vendors have been a weak link in many counties.

Governor Natembeya was also instructed to take administrative action against county officers suspected of facilitating the revenue leakage.