Kiambu County government has been awarded for increased revenue collection and automating its financial services.
The county bagged the award by the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) defeating other 46 counties that were eyeing the award.
Kabogo’s government emerged Top County in terms of increased revenue collection and automotive financial systems.
Mombasa and Laikipia counties came in second and third respectively.
The award was presented to Governor William Kabogo at Whitesands hotel in Mombasa on Friday during the conclusion of a weeklong Revenue and Automation conference organised by the Commission on Revenue Allocation.
According to governor Kabogo, the county has to double its revenue collection over the last three years.
The governor said that before devolution the county used to collect Sh800 Million yearly.
The governor, however, says that the county collected Sh2.4 Billion during the 2015/2016 Financial Year.
He attributed the increased to digitisation of financial records which he said had sealed loopholes for corruption.
Kabogo observed that the county is capable of collecting Sh5 Billion revenue yearly saying that defaulting of land rates has hampered its revenue collection.
“Land defaulters currently owe the county Sh2.4 Billion,” he said.
During the conference, CRA chairman Micah Cheserem urged counties to automate their financial services. He said that move will tame corruption and boost development.
Cheserem stated that the commission is working closely with county governments on measures that will curb graft and ensure service delivery. He also asked county governments to allocate more money to development projects.
He observed that half of county budgets go to paying salaries.
The CRA boss at the same time called for the scrapping of some political seats saying they are to blame for ballooning wage bill.