The government has finally addressed the rising concerns surrounding the eCitizen platform, confirming that the system has been running under a 10-year pilot program through a private partnership.
This announcement follows growing public worry over the security and ownership of the critical digital service used by millions of Kenyans.
In a press release issued on Thursday, April 17, government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura emphasized that the eCitizen platform is completely owned by the government, even though it is currently operated by a separate service provider.
“The eCitizen platform is fully owned by the government of Kenya. However, we entered into a contractual agreement with a local IT firm known as Webmaster to manage and operate the platform.
This arrangement has been in place as part of a decade-long pilot phase aimed at gradually building internal government capacity and improving the system’s functionality,” Mwaura explained.
The eCitizen platform, first launched in 2014, was designed to provide a centralized access point for government services. In its early years, it grew rapidly, incorporating over 5,000 services from both county and national levels.
Agencies like the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the National Registration Bureau, and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) became key participants.
To continue the platform’s development, the government entered into an agreement with a consortium of three firms.
According to Mwaura, this move was intended to give the government more time to enhance its internal digital capacity before taking over full management of the system.
Principal Secretary for Immigration and Citizen Services, Belio Kipsang, recently revealed that the current deal with the three companies was signed in 2023 and will run for a period of three years.
Mwaura also mentioned that this long-term partnership forms part of a broader strategy by the government to eventually run eCitizen independently.
To achieve this, the government has already taken major steps toward digital self-reliance by creating innovation and software development hubs.
“The government has already made progress in this area by establishing an innovation and artificial intelligence hub at the Kenya School of Government.
In addition, we have launched several software and application development hubs at Konza Technopolis, which were officially opened by His Excellency President William Ruto,” Mwaura said.
Despite these efforts, eCitizen remains under the management of the three companies hired by the government through a deal valued at several billion shillings.
The government’s clarification comes shortly after troubling claims surfaced, suggesting that if the government tried to exit the contract, it could lose access to vital national data.
A report published on Tuesday, April 15, pointed to a controversial exit clause in the contract.
This clause allegedly grants the consortium the power to shut down the eCitizen platform if the government ends the agreement prematurely.
The same report also raised concerns that the government may not currently have full control over the platform, which has now expanded to offer more than 22,000 services and is reportedly generating a massive Ksh700 million in revenue daily.
Issues regarding the safety and reliability of the eCitizen platform have persisted. As recently as February 2025, the National Assembly Finance Committee summoned the Treasury Cabinet Secretary to respond to challenges concerning the platform’s management and oversight.
During this meeting, Members of Parliament questioned why the Treasury lacks full control over a system responsible for hosting 18 government services.
They warned that such gaps could lead to revenue losses, data security threats, and service disruptions.
Legislators also demanded that the Treasury outline the steps it has taken to protect public funds and ensure that the revenue collected through the eCitizen system is not lost or misused.
In conclusion, while the government insists that it fully owns the eCitizen platform and is working toward digital independence, recent revelations have triggered fresh concerns about who really controls the system, how secure it is, and whether taxpayer money is fully protected.
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