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Paybill changeEffective 1 August 2023Updated 15 June 2026

eCitizen 222222: how the Single Payment paybill changed Kenyan government collections

Since August 2023, paybill 222222 (eCitizen Single Payment) has become the consolidated paybill for most Kenyan government services, public universities, county fees, and SHA contributions. As of mid-2026 the consolidation is essentially complete.

What changed

  • The eCitizen platform introduced the Single Payment paybill 222222 in August 2023, replacing dozens of agency-specific paybills.
  • KRA payments (PAYE, VAT, withholding tax, customs) gained the consolidated 222222 route alongside KRA's own 572572, which remains live.
  • Most public universities migrated their fee collection to 222222 with a portal-generated reference, though some retain legacy paybills (UoN 300059, KU 247247, JKUAT 951200) for older invoices.
  • County government services (rates, parking, business permits in many counties) route through 222222 with a county-specific reference.
  • SHA (Social Health Authority) replaced the older NHIF paybill structure; contributions now route via the SHA paybill 200222 alongside the eCitizen 222222 for some services.

Why it matters

The consolidation simplifies the user experience (one paybill, many services, with the reference doing the routing) but creates a new failure mode: typing the wrong reference lands your payment in a holding account that requires manual reconciliation by the receiving agency. Always double-check the reference generated by the agency portal against the account number you type into M-PESA.

What to do

  • For government payments: always generate the reference inside the official agency portal (eCitizen, your university portal, your county portal) rather than reusing an old reference.
  • Keep the M-PESA transaction code for at least 90 days. If a payment goes to the wrong reference, the code plus the correct reference is what the agency needs to reconcile manually.
  • Verify the M-PESA SMS recipient name includes eCitizen or a recognisable government identifier before pressing send.

Sources

  • eCitizen Single Payment announcement (Aug 2023)
  • KRA paybill consolidation notice (2024)
  • SHA migration notice (2024)

Published 15 June 2026 on paybillke. Last verified 15 June 2026. We refresh news entries quarterly and within 48 hours of any directly relevant ecosystem change. Editorial process.