Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Ward representatives in Nairobi are demanding that Governor Johnson Sakaja disclose the location of the Nairobi Pay servers, which are used by the county government to collect millions of shillings in daily revenue.
Through ICT Committee Chairperson and Hospital Ward MCA Mark Ruyi, the MCAs have called on the county executive to provide details of the servers' exact location, as well as certified copies of bank statements showing revenue collected in previous financial years.
Nairobi County Committee members on Revenue collection during the grilling at City Hall, Nairobi, on September 10, 2025.
During a stormy committee session at City Hall, some MCAs dismissed figures announced by the county government as 'cooked', citing a lack of supporting documents.
Kayole Central MCA Jeremiah Themendu urged the county executive to be transparent about revenue and expenditure.
“Where are the servers of this system located? How much is actually collected beyond the figures they announce? How come we cannot pay salaries when the county collects revenue every day?” he asked.
However, Mike Gumo, the Innovation and Digital Economy Executive, whose department oversees ICT, insisted that his department has no access to the system.
“Our role is to offer support. We ensure revenue reaches the account by fixing technical issues. We do not have access to the county’s bank accounts since we are not signatories,” Mr Gumo said.
He explained that the signatory to the county government’s bank accounts is the Chief Officer for Finance, Asha Abdi, and therefore she is the only person who can produce the required bank statements.
Mathare North MCA Oscar Lore added that, without detailed revenue documents, it is impossible to verify the county’s reported collections.
The headquarters of the Nairobi City County Government offices on City Hall Way in Nairobi.
“The big question is how we can confirm that what the county declares is accurate. We can only do this with supporting documents showing money entering county accounts. But every time we ask, the county executive takes us in circles,” he said.
Mr Ruyi, who chaired the session, urged the county executive to present the documents to the assembly in order to enable effective oversight of revenue collection and expenditure.
The dispute arose after the County Secretary Godfrey Akumali announced that August 2025 salaries would be delayed due to late release of equitable share disbursements from the National Treasury.
Staff were informed that the county "fully appreciates that timely salary payment is critical" and that management is prioritising the matter while engaging with the Treasury to release funds.
The county apologised for the inconvenience and appealed to staff for patience and commitment during the delay.
This controversy adds to the growing questions surrounding the county’s revenue system.
Nairobi reported collections of Sh13.7 billion in the last financial year — its highest ever, but still below the target of Sh20 billion. However, auditors claim that they have been denied access to the system for two years, which has hindered their efforts to verify the county’s figures.
External auditors told a Justice Committee that budget cuts and frustration had hindered their work, with some resigning. Letters to the governor seeking access to the system have gone unanswered.
A separate ad hoc committee, formed in 2023 and chaired by Makongeni MCA Peter Imwatok, was tasked with investigating revenue losses, including the ownership of the Nairobi Revenue Service (NRS) — previously used by the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Service — and the location of servers. However, this committee's work has also stalled.
Despite more than 20 meetings costing millions, no report has been presented, with committee members blaming each other for the failure.
