The Office of the Auditor General has refuted information circulating on social media claiming that 1.3 trillion shillings raised through the government’s eCitizen initiative is missing. In a statement issued on 4th March, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu stated:
“We have been made aware of messages going around on social media claiming that the Auditor General Report is citing 1.3 trillion shillings as having disappeared or is unaccounted for. We wish to categorically state that these claims are false and not emanating from our office.”
The rumor went viral across various social platforms on Tuesday, with some people claiming that 1.3 trillion shillings had been withdrawn from the National Treasury and could not be traced. The rumor led to an intense debate on social platforms, with many Kenyans asking questions.
Senator Mong’re Okong’o, who represents Siaya County, contributed to the debate, calling on the National Treasury to take responsibility, as he noted on his X account.
The Sh1.3 trillion figure is significant, as it represents approximately one-third of the Sh4.239 trillion national budget set for 2025/2026. It is also almost double the annual education budget.
eCitizen, which is now used by government institutions to receive payments for services, was initially designed to plug revenue leakage associated with manual processes and middlemen.
Last month, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura observed that the platform raked in as much as Sh1 billion on a daily basis from over 23,000 government services. Speaking at a press briefing held at KICC in February, Mwaura noted, “This platform was designed to plug the leakage in government revenue, and I can say with confidence that we have been able to plug those loopholes. Additionally, the President is committed to ensuring that we have more government services digitized to ensure we enhance revenue collection.”
As the Auditor General disassociates herself from the viral claims, attention might shift back to the source of the claims that led to the online commotion.
