Nairobi County Assembly members are pressing Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration to disclose the location of Nairobi Pay servers and provide full access to revenue records, amid doubts over the authenticity of the county’s reported Sh13.7 billion collections.
The call comes after repeated attempts to obtain supporting bank statements were reportedly ignored, leaving the assembly unable to verify the daily revenue figures.
During a heated session at City Hall, legislators accused the county executive of presenting “cooked figures” without documentation to back the claims. Hospital Ward MCA and ICT Committee Chairperson Mark Ruyi said the lack of transparency hampers the assembly’s ability to hold the county accountable.
The MCAs have called for certified bank statements for previous financial years and details of the exact Nairobi Pay server locations. Several members described the county’s revenue figures as unreliable due to missing documents.
Kayole Central MCA Jeremiah Themendu questioned the county executive directly. “Where are the servers of this system located? How much is actually collected beyond the figures they announce? How come we cannot pay salaries when the county collects revenue every day?” he asked.
Innovation and Digital Economy Executive Mike Gumo clarified his department’s role in managing ICT systems.
“Our role is to offer support. We ensure revenue reaches the account by fixing technical issues. We do not have access to the county’s bank accounts since we are not signatories,” he said, noting that Chief Officer for Finance Asha Abdi is the only authorised person to provide bank statements.
Mathare North MCA Oscar Lore stressed the difficulty in verifying revenue without proper documentation.
“The big question is how we can confirm that what the county declares is accurate. We can only do this with supporting documents showing money entering county accounts. But every time we ask, the county executive takes us in circles,” he said.
Ruyi urged the county executive to provide the requested documentation, emphasizing that access is vital for effective oversight of revenue collection and expenditure.
The dispute comes after County Secretary Godfrey Akumali announced that August 2025 salaries would be delayed due to late disbursements from the National Treasury. Staff were informed that management is prioritizing the release of funds and apologised for the inconvenience, appealing for patience.
Although Nairobi County reported a record Sh13.7 billion in revenue last financial year, this fell short of the Sh20 billion target. Auditors have been denied access to Nairobi Pay for the past two years, making verification impossible.
External auditors told a Justice Committee that budget cuts and administrative hurdles hindered their work, with some resigning after repeated frustrations. Letters to the governor requesting system access have reportedly gone unanswered.
An ad hoc committee formed in 2023, chaired by Makongeni MCA Peter Imwatok, was tasked with probing revenue losses, including the ownership of the Nairobi Revenue Service and server locations. Despite holding over 20 meetings costing millions, the committee has yet to produce a report, with members blaming one another for the delays.
