Nairobi, 30th September 2024.
The Chief Officer for Revenue Administration and Ag. Chief Officer for ICT Infrastructure, Mr. Tiras Njoroge, today, inaugurated a four-day roundtable conference aimed at improving revenue target setting. The opening session brought together sub-county finance and ward finance officers to explore strategies for enhancing revenue mobilization across Nairobi’s 17 sub-counties.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Njoroge underscored the need for practical and measurable outcomes from the discussions. “By the end of this session, we must have clear, tangible solutions and a comprehensive work plan. We need to set short-term, medium-term, and long-term targets,” he said. He further emphasized that financial sustainability is key to quality service delivery, noting, “As we close our first quarter with revenue collections at approximately Kshs 2.02 billion, we have three more quarters to meet our annual target of Kshs 20 billion.”
Mr. Njoroge also stressed the importance of data-driven approaches, advocating for the implementation of a centralized system to efficiently track and manage financial data. He further highlighted the critical role of public communication in ensuring Nairobi’s residents understand payment processes and the significance of their contributions to improved service delivery.
Director, Revenue Administration, and Ag. CEO of Nairobi Revenue Authority, Dr. John Ntoiti emphasized the need for collaboration and a clear focus on goal-setting. He called on the officers to develop actionable and measurable resolutions, stating, “We should leave this conference with resolutions that are both implementable and measurable.” Dr. Ntoiti reaffirmed the county’s Kshs. 20.4B revenue target for the financial year 2024/2025, urging officers to critically examine previous approaches and propose innovative strategies to enhance performance.
Assistant Director of Revenue, Mr. Nixon Otieno, who moderated the day’s proceedings, stressed the importance of both personal and collective commitment to improvement. “Before we leave this conference, I urge each of you to make a decision to not only improve your individual capacity but also contribute meaningfully to the success of Nairobi County and the welfare of its citizens,” he said. Mr. Otieno highlighted that achieving the county’s revenue targets requires dedicated, actionable strategies and a strong sense of accountability.
The officers reviewed the Key Outcomes and Resolutions for 2023-2024, assigning specific actions to officers, resources required, and timelines to ensure implementation. Key resolutions included the adoption of revenue targets for each sub-county, cascading these targets down to the ward level, and ensuring that management provides the necessary resources for revenue mobilization, among other priorities.
During the conference, the officers took part in an anonymous online survey to share innovative ideas for meeting revenue targets in their respective sub-counties. Discussions focused on the implementation of these suggestions, which included increasing public participation in revenue processes, adopting data-driven revenue collection strategies, rotating finance officers to boost efficiency, providing adequate vehicles for revenue mobilization in hard-to-reach areas, addressing staff shortages, introducing performance-based awards for outstanding achievements among others.
The first day of the revenue target setting conference saw Cooperative Development Department, Markets stalls, Business and Hustler Opportunities Sector, presenting their targets and strategies, sparking open discussions on how to collaborate effectively in achieving countywide targets.
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