County Government of Laikipia

Uasin Gishu County Revenue Board Taskforce on Friday, 15 ^th October 2021, held a benchmarking session with the Laikipia County Revenue Board (LCRB), on how the Board is set up and how it has managed to be the leading Revenue Board in the country.

Benchmarking involves learning about best practices from others, not merely for adoption, but for adaptation, in order to accelerate the rate of progress and continuous quality improvement. It also promotes fresh and innovative thinking not only focused on what is achieved but also, on how it is achieved. Benchmarking also provides for hard data on performance which results in the setting of specific targets.

The task force enquired from the board on how we have managed to be the leading board in the country and how the citizens have encompassed the board. To this end, the LCRB through the Chairperson articulated how good management of facilities, results in an increase in the number of people who are willing to use them. She explained that for example, the devolved function of Health and Medical Services in Laikipia has seen a growth in the numbers due to good management of the hospital facilities, well-equipped facilities, quality of health services provided and the ever hard-working staff who put all efforts in ensuring the citizens get the best services.

The embracing of technology by using the cashless mode of payment in major facilities like the hospital pay points in the county, street parking, and barriers has ensured that services are rendered efficiently.

The Uasin Gishu task force appreciated the efforts made by the LCRB noting that, although they also employ the cashless system, there is a need for more empowerment of their residents to take upon the cashless system and more awareness need to be created to the residents on the services they offer.

Both teams indicated that although the cashless system is very efficient, there are areas that still present some challenges, like collections in the markets.

Target

While elaborating to the task force on how the revenue board sets up with its target, the board explained that the board, together with the Executive, performs a potential analysis on all revenue streams. Through thorough analysis of data and consultations, each department is then given a target accordingly. The targets per department are then done accumulatively to get the main target. The current target that the board has set for the 2021/2022 financial year is Kshs. 1,010,000,000.

The LCRB also noted to the task force that it achieved 84% of its target for the last financial year, which was also set at Kshs. 1 Billion.

On the quarterly collection, the task force noted and applauded the LCRB, for achieving the highest ever collection on the first quarter of any financial year, for the current financial year 2021/2022. The collection of Kshs. 220, 818, 921 is Kshs. 70,789,736 more than that for the first quarter of the last financial year 2020/2021, which stood at Kshs. 150,029,185 and Kshs. 80,906,965 more than the Kshs. 139,911,956 collected for the first quarter of the 2019/2020 financial year.

The LCRB CEO explained to the task force the measures that the board has employed in order to achieve the remarkable growth in revenue collection over the past years. The revenue collection had improved exponentially from a collection of Kshs. 482,152,082 for the financial year 2015/2016 to Kshs. 840,396,632 for the financial year 2020/2021. She noted to the task force that, through citizen engagement in forums like the sema na sisi kikao, which is a forum that discusses issues as pertains to land rates, the taxpayers are educated and enlightened on the laws and regulations that are specific to land.

Waivers

These forums provide for a great interaction with the citizens, which leads to better understanding and embracing of laws by taxpayers. This ultimately leads to improved growth of revenue.

The County Government of Laikipia through the revenue board also offered waivers on Land Rates and extended the periods on waivers, in order to afford the taxpayers the time and opportunities to acquire resources. This was done to cushion the taxpayers due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. To add to this, the County Government of Laikipia in a partnership program with Kenya Commercial Bank also set up a stimulus program on which businesses have to benefit from.

System

The task force stated that they still face a myriad of challenges in their collection and hoped that through the benchmarking of our system of collection, they would be able to overcome and see a spur in the collection and eventual development of the County Government of Uasin Gishu.

The County Revenue Board of Uasin Gishu operates as a task force and is on course to become a substantive board.

The task force thanked and appreciated the LCRB for receiving and hosting them even after receiving their invite on short notice. The LCRB also thanked the task force for trusting and choosing them as a worthy board for benchmarking and wished them all the best in their future.

The team, later on, paid a courtesy call to the County Secretary, Mr. Karanja Njora at his offices.

The taskforce delegation team was led by Jane Murrey (Chairperson-CRB Taskforce), CPA Millicentr Okonjo (Chief Officer, Economic Planning), and Silas K. Ronoh (Director of Finance) and hosted by the LCRB Chairperson Alice Kimemia, the LCRB C.E.O Prudence Waithera, board member Francis Mathenge and members of staff of LCRB.

Learning from the best is the first step towards becoming the best.