The State Department for Lands and Physical Planning has commenced a nationwide initiative to roll out a Cashless Revenue Collection system.
Speaking Monday during the flagging off of the programme, Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development Zachariah Njeru said the Ardhipay system will improve service delivery to Mwananchi.
“We are doing this because we want to improve service delivery to our citizens. The State Department for Lands and Physical Planning has really worked to see that Kenyans are served fast and efficiently,” said Njeru.
In his remarks, Principal Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning, Nixon Korir, said the programme will also ensure that no cash is involved in land transactions.
“We want to go cashless in all our registries nationwide in 14 days, starting today. For the last three weeks, we have rolled out the cashless system at Ardhi House, and it is working well,” said Korir.
Synchronized central government systems
Korir added that the State Department linked the (Ardhipay) system to the E-citizen. The linkage is meant to synchronize government systems. The PS also noted that the policy mandates the use of digital payment methods (MPESA or banks) for all services, hence fostering accountability, precision, and timely reporting of revenue collection.
A pilot roll-out of the system in 18 offices has already demonstrated remarkable improvements in revenue collection.
The 18 stations where the cashless policy is already in effect include Wundanyi, Kiambu, Murang’a, Ruiru, Thika, and Ngong. Others include Kajiado, Eldoret, Mombasa, Kisumu, Trans Nzoia, Machakos, Gatundu, Naivasha, Survey of Kenya, Ardhi House, Yatta, and Kisamis.
To expedite the nationwide transition, Korir noted that the State Department will embark on an extensive 14-day exercise to implement the policy in the remaining 76 lands offices.
This initiative includes the provision of computers and essential ICT equipment to run the system. According to the PS, dedicated field office staff will receive specialised training in cashless revenue collection, ensuring a smooth transition.
The PS added that public awareness campaigns will also be conducted, educating citizens on the simple steps to making payments as well as demonstrating how the public can conveniently utilise the Ardhipay platform for land rates payments.
