Treasury Cabinet Secretary Prof Njuguna Ndung’u on Friday, December 22 gazetted fees that Kenyans will pay when they seek services on the government’s eCitizen platform.
According to a Gazette Notice, dated December 22, the fee is a nominal administrative charge per transaction, based on the transaction amount.
“The eCitizen.go.ke shall charge a nominal administrative fee per transaction,” the statement read in part.
Notably, the fee itself is tiered based on the transaction amount, ranging from KSh. 5 for transactions below KSh. 200 to 1 US dollar for amounts paid in dollars.
In between, the fees gradually increase with the transaction value.
- Below KSh. 199: KSh. 5
- KSh. 200-299: KSh. 10
- KSh. 300-499: KSh. 15
- KSh. 500-699: KSh. 20
- KSh. 700-999: KSh. 25
- Over KSh. 1,000: KSh. 50
Exceptions for eCitizen charges
“The pro-rated changes will be applicable to all services, unless otherwise waived by the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning. The charges take effect immediately,” the notice read in part.
Additionally, the eCitizen platform itself remains integrated with various convenient payment channels, including mobile money, bank transfers, and debit/credit cards.
According to the government, this change aims to ensure the platform’s sustainability and expand access to government services for all Kenyans.
The public is advised to visit the eCitizen website for a complete list of services accessible through the platform and their corresponding fees.
“It is notified for information of the general public that pursuant to Article 201 (a) and Article 6 (3) of the Constitution of Kenya, that provides for the principle of openness and accountability of public finances, and, the obligation to deliver the widest possible access to government services respectively; and as further guided by the Public Finance Management Act, the Government of the Republic of Kenya has developed the eCitizen.go.ke Digital Payments Platform.”
President Ruto’s Directive
Earlier, President William Ruto directed all state agencies to onboard all their services on the eCitizen platform by the end of this year.
Notably, the President further directed that all payments for government services should be channeled through a consolidated Paybill, 222222.
This was intended to inject better management and transparency in revenue collection and to stem leakages from numerous collection points.