Isiolo, Safaricom partner to ease revenue collection

By Ali Abdi

Isiolo, Kenya: The Isiolo County Government has entered into a partnership with mobile network operator Safaricom to ease revenue collection.

Isiolo residents starting last week have the alternative of paying their bills to the county through Safaricom’s M-Pesa service. Governor Godana Doyo disclosed this when he launched the county’s website, www.isiolo.go.ke, in Isiolo town.

Paying bills

“Rate payers can now pay their bills to the county through M-Pesa. You now have an option of using your mobile phone to pay your bills instead of going to the county revenue offices physically,” said Doyo. The county, he said, now has an electronic payment system in place while land transactions has also gone electronic.

Isiolo relies heavily on tourism, livestock, land rents and rates and various cesses that include sand and miraa (khat).

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“Those who need to visit our game parks or pay land rates can also do so electronically,” he said.

At the lands registry, plot and lands owners can trace all their records online, that has details which include maps.

“The department of land, which had been having the biggest problem in terms of service delivery and was the most corrupt under the defunct county council, is now the best managed. By going online, we expect to check corrupt activities,” he added.