A special committee tasked to probe the slump in revenue collection in Nairobi has for the second time sought more time to table a final report.
The Assembly Ad-hoc comprising 13 members was set up towards the end of 2023 and was supposed to table a report on revenue collection in Nairobi county within 90 days.
The committee first sought an extension of 45 days on February 14, 2024, which was granted.
But on February 19, the committee sought more time citing fresh evidence and huge documents for consideration in writing the report.
“On February 14, this House resolved that the Ad-hoc committee, which I chair tables the report on March 19, 2024,” the Committee chairman Peter Imwatok said.
The chairman, who is also the assembly Majority Leader, said that the mandate of the committee was enormous and they have to compile and review all the submissions.
“We are in the process of compiling the final report and all the loopholes covered, therefore I seek your indulgence to request for the final time if you allow the tabling of this report to be done on the second Tuesday of April 2024,” he said.
“We have found that in two years, we have lost Sh2.9 billion when KRA was overseeing the collection, therefore they have forwarded enormous documents. Our clerks are downloading to make sure that it goes in tandem what we will report in this house,” he added.
His request was granted by Nairobi Assembly Speaker Kennedy Ngondi who stated that another extension by the committee will not be allowed.
“The request is granted but we will not allow any further requests past the subsequent dates you have stated,” the Speaker said.
The investigations by the Committee touches on a system used for revenue collection in Nairobi dubbed Nairobi Revenue System (NRS).
The system was introduced in 2021 during the reign of defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) but it emerged that despite the exit of NMS, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) was still collecting revenue on behalf of the county.
This led to formation of the committee to probe efficiency of the system, transparency and why the county had not surpassed its revenue collection target since 2015.
On January 23, the Ad-Hoc committee noted that the KRA staff had worked for one year without a legal framework with the county which was admitted by County Acting Patrick Analo.
During the committee hearing, KRA Deputy Commissioner Anastacia Githuba said that the county requested the secondment of the KRA officials to help in the transition.
