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Explain e-visa revenue billions in Swiss banks

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By  Editorial

 The revelation that billions of shillings collected from the issuing of visas to travellers coming to Kenya have been banked in Swiss accounts is shocking. The top national officials concerned must explain this suspect decision.

President William Ruto’s administration is said to have deposited the money in Swiss banks in a questionable deal reminiscent of the previous government’s diversion of the Eurobond proceeds to offshore accounts to bypass the Consolidated Fund.

At a time when the country is experiencing serious financial challenges, the Sh6.5 billion raised in e-visa revenues could have come in quite handy. The Consolidated Fund is the government's main bank account run by the National Treasury, with strict withdrawal conditions, including mandatory Controller of Budget approvals.

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Former President Uhuru Kenyatta also came under scrutiny over the Eurobond proceeds many believe were never disbursed to the country despite having been sought to solve financial woes and unlock stalled programmes.

Questions are being raised about the bypassing of the Consolidated Fund just like in 2014, when the Kenyatta administration channelled $2.75 billion (Sh356 billion at the current exchange rate) Eurobond loan to offshore accounts. Then Auditor-General Edward Ouko said there was no indication that the cash had been spent on development projects.

The Constitution requires all money coming into the government to be deposited into the Consolidated Fund, except where Parliament has created a special fund.

In the electronic travel authorisation service (eTA) revenues, Swiss firm Travizory Border Security SA was contracted to collect visa fees. It was paid Sh1.5 billion of the Sh6.5 billion revenue collected between August 2024 and February 2025, and the money was received in a Swiss account.

The deal, which cost 23 per cent of the revenues, has since flopped and the government now says the funds are being channelled through e-Citizen to the Consolidated Fund.