In a heated session led by the ad hoc committee under the helm of Majority Leader Mr Peter Imwatok Jateso, investigating the unexplained drop in revenue collection despite the presence of the Nairobi Revenue Service (NRS), a startling revelation unfolded.
The culprit behind the ailing revenue system was finally unmasked, and it’s none other than a mysterious figure named Benson Njoroge.
The committee, relentless in its pursuit of answers, extracted this revelation during the grilling of Nairobi County officials, including County Attorney Ms Christine Ireri, Acting Chief Officer Mr Patrick Analo, and Finance and Planning CEC Mr Charles Kerich. The pressure was particularly directed towards the ICT department, which holds access to the county’s revenue system.
Under scrutiny, Tiras Wainaina Njoroge, the County Chief Officer in charge of Smart Nairobi, reluctantly admitted that whenever the revenue system encountered delays, he liaised with a person named Benson Njoroge.
This admission raised eyebrows, especially since no county official had ever met Mr Njoroge or managed to trace his office.
Wainaina clarified that the Ministry of ICT, acting on behalf of the national government, had assigned Benson Njoroge as the contact person for the NRS system.
“Ministry of ICT handed him over to me for the purposes of NRS system. I do not want to confirm whether he is an employee there; all I know is that he has the knowledge of the development of the system,” stated Wainaina.
According to Mr Kerich, the NRS system was introduced to Nairobi County by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) during the tenure of the now-defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS).
Despite the conclusion of NMS’s time, KRA continued to collect revenue on behalf of the county.
However, it came to light that KRA, which used to receive a commission for its services during NMS’s era, now provides these services for free.
The revelation has raised concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability in Nairobi’s revenue collection system.
The lingering question remains: Who is Benson Njoroge, and why is he the sole gatekeeper of Nairobi County’s crucial revenue system?
