• The 143 workers had not taken leave since 2013.
• In their absence, revenue will be collected by community administrators under the supervision of CECs.
All revenue clerks in Kakamega county have been sent home for two months as Governor Wycliffe Oparanya began restructuring his government yesterday.
Oparanya said the 143 revenue clerks will report to the County Public Service Board (CPSB) for directions after their compulsory leave.
“We have found out that these people have not gone on leave since 2013 and thought it wise to allow them time to rest,” he said.
The county, like other devolved units, is starved of revenue from the national Treasury due to the stalemate over the division of revenue bill between the National Assembly and the Senate.
The governor intends to enhance local revenue collection.
County sources told the Star that some of the clerks had foregone leave “to protect their territories”.
In their absence, revenue will be collected by the county's 400 community administrators under the supervision of ward and sub-county administrators and CECs, Oparanya said.
Deputy governor Philip Kutima will oversee collection in Malava. Finance CEC Geoffrey Omulayi will be in Matungu, Roads CEC Collins Matembe (Ikolomani and Shinyalu) and Sports CEC Robert Makhanu (Likuyani).
County Attorney Moses Sande will oversee revenue collection in Khwisero, Lands CEC Alfred Matianyi (Butere), Trade CEC Kassim Were (Mumias West), Education CEC Joseph Indire (Ligari), Public Service CEC Beatrice Sabana (Lurambi), ICT executive George Lutomia (Mumias East) and Water CEC Barasa Wangwe (Navakholo).
“As counties, we must look ahead because by enhancing our local revenue so that the sharable revenue is not only limited to implementation of key development but also meet our service demands from our own sources,” the governor said.
He said there was no development money and did not know when the impasse will be resolved.
The governor said the CECs will report to him their daily revenue collection either by telephone or text messages.
Oparanya also appointed a former commissioner for customs at the Kenya Revenue Authority Beatrice Memo to head the county revenue collection agency.
He told the CECs and sub-county administrators at the chambers that the county expects to collect Sh1.3 billion from own sources this financial year.
Revenue increased from Sh500 million in 2017-18 to Sh800 million last financial year. The governor attributed the increase to semi-automation of revenue collection.
Some of the clerks were unhappy with the introduction of the cashless revenue collection system, the governor said.
“There is no turning back on cashless revenue collection because that is the trend the world over and it helps seal loopholes for revenue leakage.”
The governor disclosed that the county's own revenue collection stands at five per cent of the budget. He intends to raise it to at least 10 per cent.
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