Bomet officials raise concern over Ksh800M revenue loss

Emmanuel Rono 26th September, 2025 09:36 PM

Despite the push for counties to have more allocations, there are still concerns about pilferage without accountability.

Budgeted corruption and manipulation of tax systems are some of the loopholes and avenues that the Auditor General has flagged.

The latest case is of Bomet county, under the leadership of Governor Hillary Barchok, which is losing Ksh800 million of its revenue annually through theft by revenue staff and people masquerading as tax collectors within the county.

Municipality Manager Davis Langat and his Sotik counterpart Benard Ngeno described the situation as dire, noting that Bomet County collects only about Ksh200 million annually against its potential of Ksh1 billion.

Ngeno decried how revenue staff are blatantly stealing taxes and putting them to personal use despite giving them to the residents of Bomet for development.

“We are concerned about how some revenue staff are using collected revenue at source, which is against the law and denying Bomet County Residents Development and Services,” Ngeno told the press on Friday, September 26, 2025.

He said with the current situation, the two municipalities are facing the risk of losing funding from donors due to unmet revenue targets that as persisted for years.

Also watch: Governors fault rushed e-procurement system.

On his part, Langat said the worst part was how people who are not employees of the revenue departs are taking money from unsuspecting traders and issuing fake permits.

“There are so many people who are not our staff and are operating within Bomet town and other towns in this county who are collecting revenue and taking millions,” he said.

Speaking to the press after a strategy meeting on Friday, September 26, 2025, the two recently appointed municipal managers said they were ready to conduct a crackdown and ensure all revenues are duly paid to the county revenue accounts.

Sotik Municipal Board manager Benard Ngeno. Ngeno said the county was facing a risk of losing donors like the World Bank due to unmet revenue targets. PHOTO/Emmanuel Rono

Stern warning

Ngeno issued a warning to revenue staff who are collaborating with non-employees to defraud the county of its revenue.

Langat urged Bomet-based traders to ensure that they embrace a revenue system rolled out by the county government to ensure all money reaches the target purpose.

“Our appeal to traders is to ensure they use the new system and keep revenue transaction cash less so that we can save losses incurred through theft,” Ngeno said.

Also watch: Government moves to save billions through e-procurement, digital asset management.

Municipal officials announced the formation of a multi-agency team to arrest individuals posing as revenue staff in an effort to curb the situation.

“We are partnering with the police and we will ensure to arrest suspects who we have mapped, particularly those manning parking slots, single lanes, and the main bus terminus,” Langat said.

He revealed that a crackdown would also be conducted on public service vehicles that pick and drop passengers at undesignated places.

“Some of our revenues are being lost through public service vehicles that have created drop points outside the main terminus, and we will ensure strict enforcement of that so that all money is collected,” he asserted.