Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson has defended the county’s Nairobi Pay digital revenue collection platform, telling senators that the system has significantly improved revenue collection and could serve as a model for other counties across the country.

Appearing before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee, Sakaja said Nairobi Pay was developed through a government-to-government procurement arrangement and is owned by the Government of Kenya. He explained that the platform was branded “Nairobi Pay” to make it easy for residents to identify and use when paying for county services.

“This is one of the best systems I can recommend. It enables us to track revenue from all collection streams in real time and has played a major role in increasing Nairobi’s revenue from Sh8 billion when we took office to Sh13.8 billion in the financial year ending June 2025,” Sakaja told the committee.

The Governor said the system had helped eliminate inefficiencies associated with previous platforms and enhanced accountability through digital payments. He noted that Nairobi Pay had proven more effective than earlier systems and welcomed scrutiny from the Auditor-General.

“It is good for the Auditor-General to compare the systems. They will find that Nairobi Pay is far superior to what existed before. We are comfortable with it because it has strengthened digital revenue collection and reduced leakages,” he said.

Sakaja further revealed that other counties, including Nyandarua, had already adopted the platform, adding that it could help counties struggling with low revenue collection improve their performance.

His remarks received support from Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo Wambua, who said that if the system’s effectiveness is confirmed through the audit process, the Senate could recommend its adoption by other county governments as a way of sealing revenue leakages.

“If the system is as effective as Nairobi County says it is, then after the audit process the Senate can advise other county governments to consider adopting it to improve revenue collection,” Wambua said.

Committee Vice Chairperson Mwashushe Mwaruma, who chaired the session on behalf of the committee chair, directed Nairobi County to provide additional information on the acquisition and effectiveness of the system. The committee recommended that the county be given 14 days to respond to the concerns raised and demonstrate the platform’s value before further recommendations are made.