County On the Spot Over Ksh2.8B Paid to Ghost Workers

Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo (right) during his swearing-in on Tuesday, December 29, 2020.
Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo (right) during his swearing-in on Tuesday, December 29, 2020.

A report by the Auditor General Nancy Gathungu indicates that the Nyamira County government paid out over Ksh2.8 billion to ghost workers in the 2018/2019 financial year.

The audit report shows that 736 officers were employed and paid outside the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database system by the county government.

It is said that there were no documents availed to show the existence of 736 job opportunities, neither were there indications of shortlisting nor interviewing of candidates for such job opportunities.

In addition to the absence of such documentation, the county also lacked minutes of recruitment, appointment letters as well as human resource advisory committee reports on the appointments for the financial year in question.

Auditor General Nancy Gathungu during a press conference in October 2020.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu during a press conference in October 2020.
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“Analysis of the monthly gross pay rise of Sh3 million for staff is not supported with documents such as the approved pay change advice, Public Service Board minutes, human resource advisory committee minutes as well as letters of promotion,” read part of the report.

Receipts of compensation payments of Ksh2.8 billion to employees for that financial year could not be confirmed as stated by the Auditor General.

The county was also faulted for failure to provide optimal staffing levels for audit review which consequently led to uncontrolled recruitment hence a bloated workforce.

“In the circumstance, the executive may face challenges while placing staff in the appropriate jobs, since the available positions are not properly identified and denied in the organizational structure,” says the audit report.

Nyamira County is also said to have awarded a Ksh383 million tender to a contractor for the construction of its headquarters. This was set to run for three years, beginning July 11, 2018, and is yet to be completed.

During the financial year in question, the county assembly is said to have paid over Ksh2.5 million to ghost workers despite there being employees earning less than a third of their basic pay.

Entrance into Nyamira County Assembly
Entrance into Nyamira County Assembly.
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