Murang’a: Murang’a County Government has launched its second annual revenue mapping exercise, seeking to deploy 2,048 youth to collect data on businesses and other revenue-generating activities across the County. The exercise, which will cover all 512 public primary schools, is aimed at helping the County establish an updated database of revenue streams, identify collection loopholes and improve accountability without imposing additional taxes, fees, or charges on residents.
According to Kenya News Agency, four data collectors will be assigned to each school catchment area, comprising two graduates, one university student, and one college or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) student. Governor Irungu Kang’ata stated that the exercise comes as the county seeks to sustain growth in own-source revenue, which has risen from about Sh500 million before 2023 to Sh1.7 billion as of June 30, 2026. Kang’ata attributed the increase to improved revenue collection and sealing of leakages rather than an increase in the financial burden on residents.
Kang’ata emphasized that the growth in revenue has been achieved without increasing taxes, fees, or charges, highlighting that the improvement is due to better collection methods. The Governor noted that mapping revenue sources across the county would enable the administration to identify businesses and taxable activities in different areas, ensuring proper documentation of revenue collection. Additionally, the initiative aims to protect traders from individuals posing as county revenue officers and demanding unauthorized payments.
The county administration clarified that the data collection exercise is not a revenue collection exercise, advising residents and traders against making payments to the recruited data collectors. The collectors will wear official branded reflector jackets and will not be authorized to handle cash. Residents are urged to report anyone attempting to demand money during the exercise.
This initiative is expected to enhance the county’s digital revenue management system by providing reliable information on businesses, institutions, and other revenue-generating activities across the 35 wards. The county also emphasized that the recruitment process is free and conducted exclusively online through the My Murang’a App or its official online application platform, with manual applications not being accepted.
Applicants must apply for the primary school catchment area where they reside, and those submitting applications for more than one school will be disqualified. Successful applicants will undergo mandatory training before deployment to the field.
The county government believes that this exercise will ultimately help broaden its revenue base through better identification and documentation of existing sources, rather than increasing taxes or charges. The exercise also aligns with growing efforts by county governments across the country to strengthen own-source revenue collection, aiming to reduce dependence on national government transfers and improve their capacity to finance local services and development programs.
