State House and the Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC) have emerged at the forefront of a damning report on government entities plagued by the presence of ghost workers. The report, released recently, points to a concerning trend of unauthorized personnel within these prominent institutions.
Contrary to New KCC’s clarification that the alleged ghost workers were on fixed-term contracts, the report exposes a widespread issue across various government agencies.
A staggering excess of 19,467 personnel beyond the approved filled vacancies was identified through scrutinizing staff registers.
The financial implications of this ghost worker phenomenon are alarming. For the 2023/2024 financial year, the government had allocated a whopping Sh2.5 trillion for recurrent expenditure, with Sh769.3 billion designated for development.
However, the report discloses that public servants in Kenya misappropriated a staggering Sh605.1 million in the fiscal year ending June 2023.
The Public Service Commission’s (PSC) recent report, assessing compliance with constitutional values and principles in articles 10 and 232, sheds light on the illicit diversion of millions from the National Treasury. Out of the total stolen amount, PSC indicates that Sh222.7 million has been successfully recovered.
“It was established that 31 (5.9%) out of the 523 responding organizations reported cases of corruption affecting 109 (0.04%) officers out of the 253,318 public officers.
The total amount of money lost related to prosecuted cases was Sh605.1 million while the amount of money recovered was Sh222.7 million,” reveals the PSC.
Breaking down the reported cases, the grim statistics reveal that 21 (19.3%) are under investigation, 20 (18.3%) face administrative actions, and charges have been filed against 34 (31.2%) officers in court.
Over the period under review, four officers (3.7%) were convicted, 12 (11%) acquitted, and five (4.6%) discharged.
Shockingly, fifty suspects (45.9%) still have ongoing cases, and the status of cases affecting 38 (34.9%) officers remains undisclosed.
As the government grapples with the fallout from this revelation, questions arise about the efficiency of internal controls and the urgent need for comprehensive reforms to curb corruption and mismanagement within key institutions.
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