Sang announced that the county public service board is in the process of revoking all employment letters issued irregularly. Employees whose names were added to the county payroll without following proper procedures will not receive salaries starting this month.
This action follows a human resource audit by the Public Service Commission, which uncovered a significant payroll fraud. Hundreds of workers—mainly friends and relatives of senior county officials—were unlawfully given employment letters and included in the payroll.
“We have begun implementing the audit report, and those affected will be notified according to established regulations,” Sang stated. The workers involved have collectively earned about Sh2 billion over the past six years, which has inflated the county wage bill to over 75%, limiting resources available for development.
Sang also dismissed a circulating document claiming that 1,800 employees would be impacted. “That document is not authentic. Staff personal information and data are protected and cannot be shared outside legal provisions,” he asserted. Affected individuals will receive direct communication in accordance with government procedures.
He emphasized that the circulating document is neither genuine nor official. Sang warned against the dissemination of personal information, stating, “Those generating, manipulating, and sharing individual data are liable for offenses under the law.”
An update on the implementation status of the HR audit report will be provided in due course. He reassured workers that there would not be a general freeze on salaries, explaining, “The decision will result in the affected individuals having their names removed from the payroll, thus no salary will be disbursed.”
The audit, conducted at the governor’s request, revealed illegal employment letter issuance by the County Public Service Board in collusion with the payroll unit. Other irregularities included the use of fraudulent documents, improper employee placement in job groups, and dubious promotions.
Some employees rose four job groups in just two years without justification, while others have remained in the same grade for over eight years without a promotion. These practices contradicted recommendations from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission made at the Third National Wage Bill Conference in April.
Sang stated, “All these irregularities resulted in the issuance of fake appointment letters that were fraudulently introduced into the payroll system.” Two weeks ago, he announced the suspension of several payroll officers to facilitate investigations, with some being questioned by the DCI as it emerged that some unlawfully hired individuals paid bribes of up to Sh400,000.
He urged those with irregular appointments to visit the complaints desk established in every department to explain their situations. “We will fully implement this report, and anyone involved in this flawed process will face consequences,” the governor affirmed.
The irregularities have caused the employee count to exceed 4,430, whereas the county should have no more than 3,000 workers. Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has consistently raised concerns over improper employment practices.
