Jubilee Government caught up in controversial Sh5.6 Billion case
The company has been using the portal for over four years.
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Goldrock Capital, which took over Kenya Revenue Authority’s role of collecting Government returns, has been disowned by the Treasury’s Permanent Secretary Mr Kamau Thugge, in court papers which sought to put an injunction to the firm, which has been collecting money on behalf of the Government since 2014.
Mr Thugge, the paper reported, said that the government did not authorise “any private firm to receive eCitizen payments on its behalf.”
Millions of Kenyans have been using the eCitizen portal since 2013, through which they access crucial government services including renewal of driving licences, passports, business registration certificates, vehicle logbooks and title deeds, and make payments through a controlled mobile money option (MPesa) provided by Safaricom Limited.
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The paper revealed that over Sh 5.6 billion has been paid through the system which the Henry Rotich led National Treasury claimed is not recognised in by the government.
“I am aware that the government has not authorised Goldrock Capital to collect the convenience fee or otherwise derive any remunerative benefit from any transaction carried out through the eCitizen portal. I am aware that Goldrock Capital is not authorised by the CS, National Treasury to collect revenue for and on behalf of the government,” Dr Thugge says in his response as quoted by the daily.
Other firms which have been listed in the riveting case include Webmasters Kenya, which Mr Thugge said was only authorised to train government officials to handle the payment portal.
The company has been accused of subcontracting Goldrock to collect money paid for government services through eCitizen. The company has however denied.
“There is no privity of contract between Goldrock Capital and Webmasters Kenya. Goldrock Capital has not demonstrated either by adducing evidence or by affidavit evidence that it has a relationship with Webmasters Kenya or that Webmasters Kenya has been or is in control of paybill 206206 hence there is no disclosed cause of action against Webmasters Kenya,” Webmasters Kenya says.
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The eCitizen portal was launched in 2013 to facilitate easy access to government services which do not necessarily need an individual to visit a government office. Millions of cash is collected daily through the portal for services offered by the government.
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