The County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) has decried the dip in the own source revenue collection in Trans Nzoia County and directed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to step in and investigate.

The Committee took the decision after Governor George Natembeya admitted that the County Government has consistently failed to measure up to the collection that the defunct local authorities achieved.

This emerged after it was revealed that the Natembeya administration own source revenue for the county had reduced by Ksh22 million in the 2024/25 financial year.

The Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) says that Trans Nzoia has a revenue potential of Ksh4.7 billion, including Ksh2.2 billion from health facilities.

Leaving out health facilities, the revenue potential for the county was pegged at Ksh2.5 billion.

However, in its budget estimation, the Governor Natembeya administration had targeted to raise Sh673 million, far below the projected CRA potential.

Instead, the County collected only Ksh173 million.

To justify the under collection, the Governor told the Committee that the situation was occasioned by the transition when they changed the revenue collection system.

“The under collection was due to the introduction of the new revenue collection system,” said the Governor.

However, the response did not amuse the members of the Committee, who argued the response was contemptuous and demanded that he explains the real reasons.

“There is a huge possibility that my revenue officers were collecting money and pocketing,” the Governor responded, adding that the revenue department is one of the most attractive posting for county staff.

“Everyone wants to work in the revenue department, including the revenue officers,” he said.

However, forced Senator Moses Kajwang, the chair of the Committee, to direct the EACC to intervene and investigate cases of the revenue leakage.

“EACC must conduct intervention to determine whether the revenue was collected. If it was collected, where the money ended up,” he said, when he issued the directive.

He also asked the Office of the Auditor General to write letter to the vendor of the system offering them an opportunity to defend themselves against possibility that they were aiding in the leakage of the revenue.

“if they are found culpable, then a recommendation for their debarment should be explored,” he observed, adding that revenue systems vendors have been conduit for the mess in counties.

Governor Natembeya was directed to take administrative action against county revenue officers who aided the leakage of the revenue.

Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya appearing before the Committee on September 23, 2025. PHOTO/Parliament.