Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya is set to face further scrutiny as Senators seek answers over possible graft and mismanagement in the county.
The Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) on Tuesday directed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate alleged irregularities at the county revenue collection system after the governor admitted before the committee that his administration has consistently underperformed in revenue collection compared to the defunct local authorities.
According to reports presented to CPAC, the county’s own source revenue (OSR) decreased by Ksh22 million in the 2024/25 financial year, raising concerns over accountability.
The Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) had projected that Trans Nzoia has a revenue potential of Ksh4.7 billion, with Ksh2.2 billion expected from health facilities and Ksh2.5 billion from other sources.
Despite this potential, the Natembeya-led administration had only projected a revenue collection of Ksh673 million in its budget and eventually managed to collect a mere Ksh173 million.
Governor Natembeya attributed the drastic shortfall to the introduction of a new revenue collection system, a justification that CPAC members rejected as not holding ground.
“There is a huge possibility that my revenue officers were collecting money and pocketing it,” Natembeya conceded, admitting that the revenue department remained one of the most “lucrative” postings for county staff.
The remarks drew sharp reactions from committee members, forcing CPAC Chairperson, Senator Moses Kajwang, to direct EACC to intervene and establish whether funds were collected and misappropriated.
“EACC must conduct an intervention to determine whether the revenue was collected. If it was collected, where does the money end up?” Kajwang ordered.
The committee also instructed the Office of the Auditor General to engage the revenue system vendors and give them a chance to defend themselves against allegations of aiding in revenue leakages.
“If they are found culpable, then a recommendation for their debarment should be explored,” Kajwang said, noting that vendors have increasingly been a conduit for financial malpractice in counties.
Governor Natembeya was further directed to take administrative action against revenue officers implicated in the leakage, as CPAC moved to seal loopholes that continue to cripple county revenue streams.
