How county officers, cartels loot market revenue

Makongeni Ward Representative Peter Imwatok. [Samson Wire, Standard]

Nairobi City County officers are collecting revenue in cash from traders and sending it through mobile money, a special committee has discovered.

The committee, led by Makongeni Ward Representative Peter Imwatok, was investigating the low revenue collection in Nairobi County.

The committee met with market leaders in Nairobi on Thursday. They said the cash collection was common and hard to track.

Muthurwa Market chairman Nelson Githaiga said some traders paid Sh50 daily to county officers. The officers then sent the money to the county through mobile money.

"The county officer does not check every trader who pays through the phone. The traders collect the money first, then give it to the county officers. We want accountability," Githaiga said.

He also said there were cartels who took the county revenue.

The committee also found that the revenue collection system was often not working. Some clients had to take back their money.

Market leaders asked the county to improve the revenue collection system and the market facilities, such as toilets.

City Market Director Joyce Mwangi said she could not use the system to collect revenue.

"We cannot meet the daily target of Sh1.5 million. We don't have access to the system. We cannot hold the officers accountable. I don't know what happens in the system," Mwangi said.

Many sectors blamed the system for the low revenue.

The committee will report to the county assembly soon.