Digital payment system makes life better for Nairobi residents

BUSINESS TODAYNov 15, 20171 Mins read2k

eJijiPAY, Nairobi’s electronic payments platform has improved the quality of life of Nairobi County citizens. Its seamless processes has not only increased compliance but also resulted in increased revenue collection by the county.

The eJijiPAY platform, launched in 2014, automates payments for parking, business licenses, land rates, rent, traders market fees, construction permits and health permits among other fees. Just recently, some other revenue streams such as morgue fees, off-street parking, and cess payments were automated as well.

“I am grateful for eJijiPAY,” says Miss Caroline Ogutu, who owns a Salon in Umoja. “The hustle of renewing my trade license is now a thing of the past. It took me less than 10 minutes to get provisional business permit this year. This exercise previously took me almost a month.”

The digital payment platform enables users to pay through mobile, web, banks and a network of over 10,000 JamboPay agents across the county. More than 2.5 million Nairobi citizens use the system daily. The convenience the system provides is what has resulted in its increased uptake over the years.

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“I always pay for parking long before I get to CBD. Either while in traffic jams or when leaving my house, reason, I discovered you can pay online anytime anywhere, says Mr Kibuchi Mwai, a motorist who uses the service.

Nairobi is the first City in Africa to roll out a complete unaided cashless payment platform and Nairobi City County has won awards such as the CIO 100.

JamboPay says it has made several improvements on the system to stabilise it. Earlier this year, says Mr Danson Muchemi, the CEO and founder, the company acquired Nutanix, which has tremendously reduced downtime.

“We are continuously working to make it as seamless as possible,” said Mr Muchemi. “Our vision for JamboPay is not only to be the go-to app for payments, but also a universal digital wallet that helps consumers spend wherever and however they want to pay, regardless of device,” adds Muchemi.