eCitizen Has Been a Powerful Weapon Against Corruption - President Ruto

President William Ruto has defended the eCitizen platform, hailing it as one of Kenya’s most effective tools in fighting corruption and a key driver of digital transformation. 

Speaking during the 2025  Devolution Conference launch on Wednesday, August 13, Ruto credited the platform with curbing corruption by eliminating cash handling and embedding full digital audit trails.

“By reducing opportunities for bribery and making transactions traceable, fair, and secure, citizens can now track their applications and payments online with confidence,” he said.

The President also detailed the platform’s rapid growth since its inception in 2013, when it offered only a few services.

“What began with a handful of services has evolved into a 24/7 one-stop shop for over 22,000 government services, accessible anywhere in the world,” Ruto stated. “Today, over 14 million Kenyans are registered, with half a million logging in daily to access passports, driving licences, business registrations, land transactions, marriage certificates, police clearances, and much more; all without queues, intermediaries, or unnecessary bureaucracy.”

According to President Ruto, the impact on public revenue has been remarkable. Collections have surged by over 1,500%, from KSh 60 million to more than KSh 1 billion daily, translating to over KSh 500 billion annually.

“Counties that have integrated their digital portals with eCitizen have seen remarkable growth: Mombasa’s revenues rose from KSh 1.6 billion to KSh 2.57 billion (61% growth), Kiambu’s from KSh 2 billion to KSh 3.04 billion (52% growth), and Kajiado’s from KSh 1.4 billion to KSh 2.07 billion (48% growth),” Ruto explained. “Other counties such as Bomet, Tharaka-Nithi, and Meru have posted similar improvements.”

Beyond revenue, the President highlighted that eCitizen has generated over 600,000 jobs in ICT, logistics, and support services, demonstrating that digitalisation boosts livelihoods and efficiency.

This comes a week after Members of Parliament called for the closure of the platform, terming it a crime scene following a report that exposed a staggering Ksh9.4 billion loss. 

On August 5, the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) raised alarm after a report from the Auditor General’s office revealed unauthorized payments totaling Ksh 127 million to private entities.

"The committee, for the two private entities that had been paid Ksh127 Million, was Wandabwa Associates Limited, Ksh63 million, and another one got an equal amount," an MP stated.

The report further revealed that a lack of standard operating procedures led to an overcharge of Ksh2.6 billion as convenience fees to its users.

"The e-Citizen platform is a scam. And why? On page three, chair, you've been able to read that there's no legal framework," Turkana Central MP Joseph Namuwar stated, citing fundamental legal deficiencies.