The government’s eCitizen platform, designed to streamline access to public services through digital payments, is under scrutiny for poor transparency and exclusion of citizens from the decision-making process.

Human rights activist Dr Magare Gikenyi has spoken out against how the platform was introduced, saying the rollout ignored constitutional requirements for involving the public.

“The idea itself is not a bad idea,” Dr Gikenyi said during an interview with Radio Generation on Tuesday. “UNESCO says that we can pay, we can have these services better on the top of our budget,” he added.

Gikenyi noted that the problem lies not with the platform’s concept but with how it was implemented.

He explained that officials in the Treasury developed the system behind closed doors without consulting Kenyans or relevant stakeholders.

“They just sat there in a treasured building… just ensured the system essentially favors them,” he said.

The activist cited Articles 10 and 118 of the Kenyan Constitution to emphasize why public involvement is critical.

Article 10 outlines the national values, including transparency, accountability, and public participation in governance. Article 118 requires that the government involve citizens when making policy decisions that affect their rights and freedoms.

“According to the Constitution, when the government makes decisions impacting fundamental freedoms, it must involve the people,” Gikenyi said.

“If you don’t involve the people, then what they are doing is not good. An action or service given to the public which is against the Constitution is no service at all,” he added.

Going further, Gikenyi said the eCitizen system was rolled out in stages without adequate consultation.

Initially, only a few services were included, but over time, the platform expanded without proper stakeholder engagement.

Under the current government, the platform was integrated into the “Triple 2” system, centralizing payments further.

While centralization is a good idea in principle, he stressed again that the rollout process lacked transparency and did not involve citizens as required by law.

He also raised concerns that eCitizen is not wholly owned by the government, which raises questions about public funds management.

“All monies we as Kenyans get through taxation or levies must go to one port called the Consolidated Fund,” Gikneyi said.

Proper parliamentary oversight, as representatives of the people, is necessary to ensure accountability.

The concerns raised by Gikenyi align with findings from Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu’s March 2025 audit report, which revealed over Sh9.6 billion in questionable transactions within the eCitizen system.

The report noted the absence of signed agreements between the National Treasury and financial service providers handling payments, leaving billions of shillings in accounts with unclear control.

“This lack of formal agreements compromises accountability and poses a risk to effective public service delivery,” the Auditor-General warned.

In response, Treasury Principal Secretary Dr Chris Kiptoo told the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee that the government fully owns the platform and has secured all access controls.

He dismissed the audit findings as inaccurate and said no funds were lost due to strengthened contractual agreements.

The eCitizen controversy highlights wider challenges around digital governance, transparency, and the need for constitutional compliance when introducing systems that impact citizens’ rights.