World Bank to fund new e-service program to improve governance in Kenya

The World Bank said Monday it would fund an e-service program aimed at strengthening governance by enhancing revenue mobilization.

The development objective of the Second Program for Strengthening Governance for Enabling Service Delivery and Public Investment in Kenya (GESDeK II) Project, which will involve 250 million U.S. dollars, is to enhance revenue mobilization and deepen accountability and transparency in public finance management at the national government level. It will benefit 485 ministries, departments, and agencies, as well as 240,000 registered firms, and 18 million citizens who will be using e-services.

"This new program will incentivize the last mile of a decade of public financial management reforms in Kenya, including their full rollout across national government ministries, departments, and agencies," Keith Hansen, World Bank country director for Kenya, said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Hansen said the program will enhance revenue mobilization, strengthen accountability and transparency in public finance management, improve coordination of priority programs, and promote external audit and oversight at the national government level. He also said the Kenyan government needs higher revenue mobilization to operationalize its development agenda, while efficiency in spending will be necessary for the revenue that is mobilized to deliver its intended purpose.

It said the new program builds on achievements under the GESDek program, which include an electronic government procurement system, an automated cash management system, a public investment management framework, an information management system facilitating financial management in state corporations, and a reengineered eCitizen portal that enables citizens and businesses to conduct and pay for 600+ types of transactions with the public sector online.

The program will also support Kenya's ambition to become a regional leader in green growth by leveraging public investment and procurement spending to promote climate considerations.