Outrage as eCitizen Users Flag Hidden Ksh100 Charges on Transactions
Kenyans using the eCitizen platform to access government services are fuming after they discovered extra charges on their transactions and are now crying foul on social media.
On Wednesday, September 3, several citizens expressed their frustration after they found out that payments now have an additional Ksh100 beyond the official invoice amounts. They questioned the management of the platform and demanded answers.
According to the complaints, what was once a “convenience fee” has now been broken down into three separate costs: an eCitizen access fee, a service fee and a convenience fee. So for services like renewing a smart driving license, instead of paying Ksh3,000, a user ends up paying Ksh3,150. The extra Ksh150 is Ksh50 as an access fee, Ksh50 as a service fee and Ksh50 as a convenience fee.
Frustrated users also complained of difficulties in getting invoices with some being charged more than once.
“Tell me why I’m paying Ksh100 extra other than what the invoice says? I want my money back now,” one angry Kenyan posted online.
This comes at a time when another debate is raging on whether one should use eCitizen to pay for services at Nairobi’s Karura Forest.
The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) recently confirmed that Karura’s entry fee has gone up from Ksh100 to Ksh166. Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko explained that the difference is due to VAT charges and the platform’s convenience fee.
“For eCitizen, every transaction has a convenience fee and VAT. That’s why the cost looks higher. All KFS transactions must comply with VAT regulations,” Lemarkoko said in a TV interview on September 2.
But he advised visitors to make group payments to minimize costs. For instance, if 20 people buy tickets together, they pay one Ksh50 convenience fee instead of 20 separate charges.
Still, the outcry highlights a bigger concern among Kenyans—whether eCitizen, initially praised for simplifying government services, is slowly becoming too expensive for ordinary citizens.
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Outrage as eCitizen Users Flag Hidden Ksh100 Charges on Transactions