Counties across Kenya are showing varied progress in employment creation and digital governance, with Murang’a emerging as the top performer in a national evaluation.
The latest assessment by the Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat measured counties on job programmes, automation of services, revenue collection, and the integration of technology in planning and decision-making.
Murang’a achieved a score of 98.3 per cent, leading all 47 counties. Nakuru followed with 87.3 per cent, Kiambu with 83.9 per cent, Kisumu at 81.2 per cent, and Meru completed the top five in the ranking.
The study highlighted how counties are leveraging technology to improve public service delivery while fostering economic opportunities. Areas reviewed included employment initiatives, digital service provision, cashless revenue systems, and data-driven innovation.
“These counties have highly digitised their core services, established reliable revenue management systems and implemented clear job creation initiatives,” the report noted.
Murang’a’s outstanding ranking is attributed to full automation of major services, which has helped the county double its revenue without imposing new taxes or fees. The county has digitised hospital operations, introduced online permit applications, and rolled out smart agriculture programmes like Inua Mkulima that deliver subsidies directly to farmers via mobile phones.
Murang’a Finance Executive Kiarie Mwaura said the use of technology has revolutionised both public service delivery and revenue collection.
“Our revenue has grown from less than Sh500 million to over Sh1.3 billion without increasing any charges. Critical services such as healthcare, permits and agricultural support are now online and we are working on integrating them into a single platform,” he said.
The evaluation also considered the accessibility and efficiency of services. Counties with high scores provide online platforms that are easy to navigate, allow payments, applications, and approvals remotely, and accommodate residents with limited digital skills.
Revenue automation was measured by the adoption of cashless systems, internal office automation, and the functionality of Enterprise Resource Planning tools. Top counties have digital business licensing, cashless revenue collection, and planning based on data analytics.
The Smart Government category assessed how counties use information in policy and planning, and how they encourage technology-based solutions.
Only seven counties, 14.9 per cent of the total, scored between 80 and 100 per cent, showing advanced use of technology and structured employment programmes.
Seventeen counties, or 36.2 per cent, scored between 60 and 79 per cent, while another 17 were in the 40 to 59 per cent range. Mid-tier counties include Lamu (79.9 per cent), Elgeyo Marakwet (79.0 per cent), Kwale (78.9 per cent), Laikipia (78.7 per cent), Nyeri (78.3 per cent), and Kajiado (77.6 per cent).
At the lower end, Wajir scored 28.8 per cent, Garissa 30.1 per cent, West Pokot 35.1 per cent, Tana River 35.8 per cent, Marsabit 38.4 per cent, and Baringo 38.7 per cent. Counties at the bottom rely heavily on manual and cash-based systems and have weak employment programmes.
