Turns out that the taxpayer is still not aware of the exact revenue amounts that were gathered in the 2007/2008 financial year. There have been inconsistencies concerning the amounts collected with each of the involved parties, Kenya Revenue Authority, Ministry of Finance and Auditor General presenting different figures. According to a report titled Revenue Accounting by the Government of Kenya by Mars Group Kenya, KRA said it had collected KES 433.9 billion. The Finance Ministry submitted to Parliament a KES 466 billion figure as unaudited revenue contrary to audited revenue figures of KES 516 billion, an under-declaration of approximately KES 70 billion.

Again, the ministry declared to Parliament KES 397.6 billion as ordinary revenue as compared to Auditor General’s figure of KES 496 billion, an under-declaration of KES 98.5 billion.

Finance Minister Njeru Githae was unable to explain to the satisfaction of the House why these discrepancies were found in the Revenue Accounts for the election year 2007/2008. Further the Minister shocked the House by admitting that only 3 revenue accounts out of 14 received certificates from the Auditor General. The other 11 were qualified and refused Certification by the Auditor General.

Various other inconsistencies were also detected in the total loans by the government in which Treasury availed a figure of KES 20.1 billion against a figure of KES 26.7 billion, an overstatement of KES 6.6 billion to Parliament. In miscellaneous revenue, the report  points out that the Parliament had been informed that only KES 7.6 billion was realized but the treasury records were showing KES 16 billion, an understatement of KES 8.6 billion.

Awareness of the need to track and monitor Government expenditure has greatly increased in recent years, as the taxpayers bear the responsibility of ensuring responsible governance as well as state building, to their own benefit. With transparency, donors can effectively support the efforts of developing countries in building self-reliance through effective domestic resource mobilization and accountability.

Mars Group also says that it has identified KES 714 billion worth of uncertified revenue in the Auditor General’s Reports of 2007-2009. On trying to reach The Kenya National Audit Office for comment they hang up on us.