Unborn Babies, Minors Among Ghost Workers in Ksh6.2 Billion Government Payroll Fraud
2 min read
The government has launched a major crackdown after an audit uncovered widespread fraud in the public service payroll, with unborn babies, underage individuals and ghost workers among those allegedly receiving government salaries.
According to the audit, Kenya lost about Ksh6.2 billion through payroll fraud, exposing serious weaknesses in how public workers are managed and paid.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said the investigation found shocking cases where some employees were listed as having been employed before they were born, while others were recorded as joining the public service before reaching the legal working age of 18 years.
The audit also found that some public servants were sharing the same bank account, while others were receiving salaries even though they did not have valid bank accounts.
In another worrying finding, several employees were linked to one bank account, raising concerns that fake workers had been added to the government payroll to steal public money.
The National Police Service (NPS) was among the institutions highlighted in the audit after investigators discovered that about Ksh336 million had been paid into a single bank account connected to several employees.
Auditors also found that around Ksh20 million was paid to people whose bank account details could not be verified, making it difficult to confirm who actually received the money.
The Department of Immigration was also flagged after officials found Ksh31 million in salary arrears that had remained unverified for six months and were reportedly processed without enough supporting documents.
CS Ruku questioned why some government offices had allowed salary arrears to build up for months without proper explanation, saying those responsible must account for the payments.
The government has now started cleaning up the payroll system by removing ghost workers and strengthening checks to prevent similar fraud in future. Ruku warned that anyone involved in the illegal schemes will face action.
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