Alarm bells are ringing in government corridors as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) moves to investigate the alleged diversion of millions from the eCitizen platform into private accounts.
PAC Chairperson Hon. Tindi Mwale (Butere) revealed that the committee will summon heads of key government and private entities to explain how billions of shillings intended for public services reportedly ended up in private hands.
The announcement followed a tense session with Principal Secretaries Chris Kiptoo (National Treasury), Dr. Belio Kipsang (Immigration and Citizen Services), and John Tanui (ICT and Digital Economy), where the Auditor-Generalโs explosive Special Audit Report on the eCitizen platform was discussed.
According to the report, Sh9.4 billion meant to fund government services was irregularly funneled into private accounts, raising serious concerns about oversight, accountability, and governance. The Auditor-General also noted that the governmentโs reliance on a vendor to operate eCitizen creates a โsingle point of failure,โ leaving millions of Kenyansโ transactions exposed to risk.
During the meeting, PS Kiptoo assured the committee that the platform is fully owned by the government under a handover agreement signed in January 2023, and that the vendor transferred control unconditionally. Despite this, Hon. Mwale emphasized that the committee needs clarity on how private entities were licensed to collect funds and what happened to the missing billions.
The PACโs probe into the alleged Sh9.4 billion diversion promises to uncover answers and hold accountable those responsible for the mysterious disappearance of funds meant for Kenyan citizens. With questions swirling over the integrity of the eCitizen platform, all eyes will now be on the committeeโs next move.
