Kenya’s ambitious plan to digitise public services through the eCitizen platform has fallen significantly behind schedule, raising concerns over revenue collection, accountability and the pace of public sector reforms.
A new report shows that as of March 31, 2026, only 1,695 government services had been migrated to the eCitizen platform—far below the target of 11,000 services set under the government’s digital transformation agenda.
The findings present a major setback to the implementation of President William Ruto’s directive aimed at consolidating government services under a single digital portal to improve efficiency, strengthen revenue collection and reduce opportunities for corruption.
Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o flagged the slow progress, noting that performance remains well below expectations despite the directive having been in place for three years.
The delayed migration means thousands of government services continue operating outside the central digital platform, prolonging reliance on manual and alternative payment systems that authorities associate with revenue leakages and unofficial charges.
The rollout has also exposed friction between the national government and independent state agencies. Several autonomous institutions have resisted rapid migration, with previous court decisions offering protection to agency leadership from immediate administrative action linked to unmet transition deadlines.
At the same time, the government is restructuring how eCitizen generates operational revenue following legal challenges to the platform’s payment model.
The High Court previously declared the standard Sh50 eCitizen convenience fee unlawful, citing concerns over double taxation and inadequate public participation.
In response, the government introduced the Public Finance Management (e-Citizen System Management) Regulations, 2026, proposing a new fee model that moves away from the flat charge.
Under the proposed framework, service fees would instead be calculated based on the value of individual transactions, creating a tiered charging structure intended to align with legal requirements while sustaining the digital platform.
Source Attributed: nation newspaper