The City Council of Nairobi has launched the first phase of its Electronic Payment System (E-System) which means that Members of the public will now be able to transact business with the council using the ICT platform from anywhere and at anytime. It is anticipated that the system will be activated in a month’s time.
The Council also intends to roll out e-ticketing before the end of the year.
Speaking during the launch held on January 11, 2012, at Charter Hall, City Council of Nairobi Town Clerk, Mr. Philip Kisia lauded the move noting that it will enhance the Council’s efficiency. “I am happy to report that this move will reduce paperwork and queues at the City Hall but more importantly it will automatically eradicate masquerading officers and fake documents,” he said.
Kisia added that the Council has been losing more than 40 per cent of its revenue to rogue council workers or people masquerading to be Council employees, which could have been used to ensure the proper development of infrastructure in the City. He has urged City dwellers who may know of such people to report them to the police or to the council offices.
While launching the platform, Local Government Assistant Minister, Hon. Lewis Nguyai said the move will enable Nairobi to step up its business ventures and become an attractive business destination in the region. He urged all the other city councils in the country to emulate the move as it will transform the way business is transacted.
Among other functions, the e-system will enable users to: Query balances and outstanding bills for rates and rents among other fees; Confirm that receipts, permits and certificates issued by the council are genuine, and that the staff representing the council is genuine. To receive a copy of the invoice, a user will be required to register through the council’s web page.
To get your land rates users should to type “Rates” space then type your “LR No.” and send to 3032. To confirm whether your Single Business Permit is genuine, type “Single Business Permit” space and then type your “SBP No.” and send to 3032. To confirm whether the City Council staff visiting your premises is genuine; type “Staff”, space and type the “staff number” on the employment smart card and send to 3032.
The second phase of the E payment plan will be launched in March and will entail the use of web services that will enable the Council to send invoices to clients on land rates, single permits, house rent and market stalls online. It will also include the use of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) services that will see the council also implement the platform in the collection of parking fees.
The City council last year launched an e-Construction Permit Management System that will be used to review and approve building plans online. Developers are expected to apply for construction permits and submit building plans for approval by the city council; online as part of the ongoing reforms at City Hall.
Developed with the help of World Bank, the digital system will allow architects submitting their plans to monitor the progress of the review process by logging into the system. The system will also notify applicants via SMS text and email whenever their proposals complete key milestones during evaluation and approval.
The e-construction permit is expected to reduce the time required to approve building plans and eradicate corruption loopholes in the council as all payment systems will be automated. For more information visit the City’s webpage on www.nairobicity.go.ke
