Kenyans Face Higher eCitizen Charges Under New Treasury Proposal

Kenyans may soon pay higher charges when accessing government services through the eCitizen platform after the National Treasury proposed new convenience fees.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has introduced new regulations under the Public Finance Management Regulations 2026 that could change how the fees are charged.

Unlike the current flat Ksh 50 fee, the government now wants to introduce a tiered system based on the cost of a service.

Under the proposal, services that cost between Ksh 10,000 and Ksh 99,999 will attract a Ksh 70 convenience fee.

Services costing more than Ksh 100,000 will attract a Ksh 100 fee. Smaller transactions of up to Ksh 100 may remain free.

eCitizen Fee Plan Defended by Government

The government says the move will help create a legal framework for the charges after the High Court ruled in 2025 that the previous Ksh 50 fee was unconstitutional and discriminatory.

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The court argued that Kenyans were being charged twice for accessing public services.

Officials have defended the e-Citizen platform, saying it has reduced delays and improved service delivery across government institutions.

“The fee will now be based on the cost of the service rather than a flat rate,” the Treasury said in the proposed regulations.

The government also says the platform currently supports more than 30,000 services and generates nearly Ksh 2 billion in collections every day.

Auditor General Raises Questions

Even as the government pushes for the new regulations, concerns continue to emerge over the management of the platform.

An audit report by the Auditor General revealed that three private companies linked to the system- Pesa Flow Limited, Webmasters Kenya, and Olive Tree Media Limited-earned about Ksh 1.45 billion in one year.

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Public Scrutiny Ahead

The Treasury has warned that removing the convenience fee completely could affect the maintenance of the e-Citizen system.

“Without this fee, maintenance of the system and its 30,000 services could be at risk,” the Treasury warned.

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Photo of Treasury CS John Mbadi speaking at a past press conference. PHOTO/Treasury