The government on Monday, August 7, acted on a directive issued by President William Ruto by shutting down 1,488 paybills in a move geared at consolidating all payments to one channel.
In a statement, Immigration and Citizens Services Principal Secretary, Julius Bitok observed that going forward, all government services payments will be made through one paybill number —222222.
PS Bitok directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that are yet to comply with the president's directive to do so without further delay.
The directive to shut down the existing paybills was issued by the President on June, 30, during the launch of the eCitizen platform.
Speaking at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), President Ruto stated that his government was realigning financial management in the country.
The thinking behind a single paybill is to ensure that all remitted government funds are sent directly to the National Treasury.
The President also remarked that the move would reduce graft enabled by physical interactions in government offices.
Moreover, the president remarked that the multiple paybills were confusing Kenyans prompting the need for one consolidated channel.
The president also noted that the many paybill numbers had made it difficult for the Office of the Auditor General to conduct proper audits of government accounts.
Mobile money pay bill numbers are a convenient and secure way for the government to collect payments from those seeking services.
Using mobile money paybill numbers is generally convenient for users since it allows them to make payments wherever they are situated at any time.
