The government has announced a major nationwide operation targeting corrupt human resource officers accused of embezzling millions of shillings from public coffers.
The operation, spearheaded by the Ministry of Public Service, is set to begin this week and will focus on dismantling networks of civil servants implicated in payroll fraud, ghost workers, and irregular allowances across both national and county governments.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku made the announcement during a public address in Embu over the weekend, warning that all officers found culpable will face immediate dismissal and prosecution.
“We are moving decisively to clean up the public service. Those who have turned government offices into personal cash machines will not only lose their jobs but will also be prosecuted,” said Ruku.
Audit Uncovers Deep-Rooted Corruption
The CS revealed that a recent audit of the government’s human resource and payroll systems exposed entrenched graft, including collusion among HR officers, falsified employee records, and systematic diversion of funds meant for salaries and benefits.
The audit, jointly conducted by the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Office of the Auditor-General, reportedly identified thousands of irregular salary payments and multiple cases of non-existent employees on government payrolls.
“Some officers have been manipulating the system for years — creating ghost workers, inflating allowances, and colluding with payroll clerks to divert funds,” Ruku added.
Counties Under Watch
The ministry has also put county governments on high alert, saying devolved units have become hotbeds for HR-related fraud. Ruku said county secretaries and heads of departments will be held personally accountable for any irregularities uncovered in their payrolls.
A special multi-agency team drawn from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and Treasury’s Internal Audit Department will oversee the crackdown.
Public Service Reform Drive
The move is part of the Ruku-led ministry’s broader effort to restore integrity and efficiency in Kenya’s public service, which has for years been dogged by bloated wage bills and ghost worker scandals.
Ruku said the government will also roll out a biometric registration system for all public officers to curb duplication and identity fraud.
“Every public servant must be verified through a transparent digital process. This is how we will end ghost workers and stop the bleeding of public funds,” he said.
Background
Previous audits have estimated that Kenya loses billions annually through payroll manipulation in ministries and counties. The latest operation is expected to mark one of the most extensive anti-graft initiatives in the civil service since devolution began in 2013.
As the crackdown begins, attention now shifts to whether the ministry will sustain the momentum and deliver tangible results in cleaning up the country’s public payroll system.