Kiambu collects highest revenue in Mount Kenya

 

Kiambu County collected the highest revenue in Central region in the last nine months of the 2015-2016 financial year.

According to the Controller of Budget's report, the county raised Sh1.82 billion placing it second after Nairobi County, which raised the highest revenue nationally at Sh9.62 billion. Mombasa County came third with Sh1.58 billion.

In Central region, Nyeri came in second after collecting Sh499 million against a target of Sh1 billion.

Despite collecting large sums of money, the report also listed Kiambu and Nyeri among counties that spent the least amount of funds on development projects. Kiambu spent Sh1.2 billion while Nyeri spent only Sh218 million on development during the nine months under review.

According to the report, counties that collected the lowest revenues were Mandera, Lamu and Tana River at Sh59 million, Sh45 million and Sh18 million respectively.

Out of the Sh1.82 billion collected in Kiambu, health management services recorded the highest performance (91 per cent) against projected revenue targets.

The department collected Sh391 million while the second highest revenue source was physical planning fees, which delivered Sh332 million. Nyeri received its highest source of revenue from unexpected sources such as agency fees, which delivered Sh1.1 million yet the county only expected to collect Sh13,000.

Projected revenue

Nyeri County garbage collection fees was expected to bring in Sh72,000 but Sh873,000 was collected, which is over 1,000 per cent of the projected revenue from the sector.

Liquor licences earned the county Sh32 million; the revenue department had projected Sh7 million.

While Meru County collected Sh361 million, the Controller of Budget criticised the county government for failing to deposit funds collected from the Hospital Facility Improvement Fund and liquor licences into the County Revenue Fund Account. The two earned the county Sh112 million.

"Contrary to the Constitution, revenue collected locally was deposited into commercial banks and spent without the approval of the Controller of Budget," the report stated.

Kirinyaga County collected Sh282 million, with the highest earner being liquor licences, which contributed Sh45 million in taxes.

Land sub-division, and tea and coffee cess generated the highest revenue for Murang'a County with a total of Sh450 million in the nine months under review.

Controller of Budget Agnes Adhiambo praised Laikipia County for achieving the highest proportion of its revenue targets out of the 47 counties.

"Laikipia projected a collection of Sh500 million and collected Sh390 million, which is 78 per cent of the target. Other counties that nearly met their targets are Homa Bay at 76 per cent and Baringo at 67 per cent," she added.

The highest revenue earners in Laikipia were parking fees and council natural resources, which generated Sh40 million and Sh29 million respectively.