In the corridors of Kenya’s civil service, a sinister scandal brews, draining the country’s coffers dry. Ghost workers – non-existent employees with fictitious faces – have been siphoning off a staggering US$31 million annually, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. A recent audit by the Ministry of Public Service and the Auditor General has uncovered a massive theft scheme, implicating senior officials in a web of deceit that spans across government ministries, departments, and agencies.
The cartel’s brazen heist involves collusion with non-existent civil servants, retired civil servants and even People Living with Disabilities (PLWD), who receive special tax exemptions and reliefs without proper documentation. The numbers are alarming: one individual received five salaries, totaling US$4,000 over six months. The Public Service Commission previously reported over 17,000 ghost workers on the payroll.
The scam, involving senior Human Resource, Accounts, and Finance officers, runs through State Departments to the National Treasury to State House – the seat of Power in Kenya. Investigations show individuals receiving multiple salaries, with one case involving five salaries paid to a single ID. Some civil servants manipulate retirement dates and alter job group details to earn more than they’re entitled to.
Read Full Article on Mail & Guardian
[paywall]
The Kenya government seems overwhelmed by the massive theft within its ranks, struggling to unify its systems and plug loopholes exploited by the ghost worker cartel. The Human Resource Management Information System (HRIS-K) is a major concern, with inadequate integration with key government systems. Only the integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), an automated platform used by the government at both national and county levels to streamline public financial management is integrated, while links with Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Higher Education Loans Board (HELP) are pending.
Over 300 State Corporations lack a framework for integration, creating vulnerabilities that are exploited by these individuals to prey through the system and steal. Irregularities abound, including employees with missing or invalid IDs, KRA Personal Identification Numbers, and suspicious Job Group (JD) changes.
[/paywall]
