Machakos County Launches Digital Money Collection System to Increase Revenue Collection

From Monday, February 24, the County government of Machakos will be implementing a new mode of revenue collection to tighten the loopholes that the county has been experiencing.

Speaking while launching the new digital money collection system, Machakos County Finance CECM Onesmus Kuyu revealed that the county has been losing a lot of money through manual collection prompting the adoption of the new system.

“From next week, we will be implementing the new digital money collection, and all business people must be aware of this. We need to have respect to be able to take this county forward,” Kuyu noted. 

The finance CECM revealed that the new system will affect all business people on all levels including businesses that are intruded by brokers.

“For example, we have not been getting money from building approvals, we are aware that the sector has brokers, and when those brokers take that money, we do not get it as a county,” Kuyu continued.

Following the launch of the system, business people in the county will be required to have an app where they register their profession, and interest and upload documents like Identification cards, business permits, title deeds, and licenses.

The system will also allow business people to track how they pay their revenues.

“The main reason why I was employed to this position is to ensure that county revenue is not lost, and that is what I will do,” the CECs revealed while in a launching and awareness forum.

With this new approach, the county is following the same move adopted by other counties including Nairobi County. Nairobi City County implemented the  Digital Payment Initiative in January 2024.

The initiative by Machakos County comes after county governments were encouraged to embrace technology to grow county revenues.

State Department for Development Principal Secretary (PS), Ms Teresia Mbaika emphasized the importance of devolution in driving local economic growth, but noted that counties need financial independence, to reach their full potential hence the need to embrace technology.

Mbaika was speaking during the 2nd Own Source Revenue (OSR) Growth Conference 2025 held on February 6, 2025.

She encouraged counties to automate revenue collection by adopting digital platforms and cashless payment systems, to reduce leakages and improve efficiency.