Four Counties Nairobi, Narok, Kiambu and Mombasa accounted for half of total own source revenue collection for the first half of the current financial year.
Data published by the Office of the Controller of Budget (OCOB) revealed that the four devolved units collected Sh9.9 billion in the six-month period as all the 47 devolved units raked in Sh19.9 billion cumulatively through their own sources.
The Sh19.9 billion made by counties in the half-year period is the highest recorded revenues through own sources since the beginning of devolution in 2013.
The rise in own source revenue comes at a time when the units are facing increased scrutiny for underperformance, misappropriation of funds and theft.
Counties which have been largely leaning on the Central government for funds recorded a 52 percent growth in own revenue generated compared to the first half of 2022/23 when the figure stood at Sh13.1 billion.
Nairobi, the country’s biggest county by contribution to GDP and population recorded its own source revenue collections of Sh3.69 billion in the period an improvement from the Sh2.6 billion booked in the same period a year earlier.
Narok, Kiambu and Mombasa wrapped up the top four with Sh2.93 billion, Sh1.64 billion and Sh1.61 billion, respectively.
The growth in revenue has been attributed to aggressive collections in rates, licenses, parking fees and other payments dues to them.
Despite the impressive growth, collections only stand 24.9 percent relative to the full-year target which stands at Sh80.19 billion.
In the report, Nyeri, Narok and Isiolo counties stood out for achieving more than 60 percent of their full-year targets. Nyeri scored 71.4 percent while Narok and Isiolo achieved 63.9 percent and 62 percent respectively.
On the flip side, the 47 units spent a meagre Sh24.8 billion on development projects representing only 14.7 percent of expenditure over the period.
The lion's share of spending went to personnel emoluments at Sh98.1 billion being 58 percent of the Sh168.5 billion spent in the half year.
