In a significant move towards modernisation, Kiambu County government has fully embraced digital transformation by implementing a comprehensive Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system across all its services.

The technological overhaul has improved service delivery and remarkably increased locally sourced revenue by more than Ksh1 billion ($7.7 million) in the past year.

Speaking during the Kiambu Town Constituency Economic Empowerment Forum, ICT Chief Officer Jacqueline Kimani reported that the services currently benefiting from automation include health services managed by the Hospital Information Management System (HMIS) and the county’s revenue management and reporting system, which integrates unified trading licenses, market fees, cess, parking fees, slaughterhouse charges and liquor licenses.

Additionally, Kimani noted that the comprehensive system includes features for resource management, fleet management, land management, development and building approval module, alongside land surveying and geo-informatics capacity.

“This all-inclusive system will automate all county services and ultimately our vision is to establish a Citizen Portal, once all modules are operational, providing online access to every service, just like E-Citizen.” She explained.

According to Kimani, the technological overhaul has dramatically reduced the turnaround time for numerous county services, leading to quicker and more convenient access for residents.

The revenue management module also plays a crucial role by automating and tracking all revenue streams, thereby bolstering transparency and accountability which has seen the county increase its own source revenue collection to Ksh4.6 billion ($35.5 million), up from Ksh3.5 billion ($27 million), without increasing fees and levies, as reported by the Controller of Budget in the 2023/2024 financial year.

She noted that the application streamlines service delivery for field officers in revenue collection, offering a simple and highly optimized process for issuing various receipts, permits, and certificates to citizens.

“This system brings added efficiency by allowing our officers to issue digital receipts, permits and certificates immediately using an integrated printer. This instant proof of payment cuts down on manual paperwork. Plus, it makes paying easier for citizens by supporting Mpesa with direct Mpesa prompts.” explained Ms Kimani.

“More importantly, the system facilitates the real-time recording and synchronisation of all transactions with the ERP, providing a reliable source of accurate and up-to-date revenue data.” She noted.

This development follows Governor Kimani Wamatangi’s revelation to the Senate Public Accounts Committee last year that the county potentially lost over Ksh10 million ($77.2 million)in the preceding decade due to alleged interference with revenue collection systems by three firms contracted by previous administrations, leading to substantial financial losses.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Hellen Lunalo