Gov’t to Publish List of Ghost Workers After Payroll Audit

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has announced that the government will release details of individuals implicated in a recently conducted payroll audit.

In an interview on Tuesday, September 16, the CS warned that the findings will expose those who have been earning salaries without offering service.

Ruku revealed that experts undertaking the audit were set to present their findings to his office, adding that the government would not tolerate ghost workers or any public servant failing to deliver to Kenyans.

"I have the experts who have been doing the payroll audit, and they will be coming to my office to do a presentation. There are issues, and I want to tell you that there are people who will suffer. 

"Tomorrow (Wednesday) we will know them because you cannot be given an opportunity by the government and fail to serve Kenyans," he said.

This comes about two months after Ruku issued a warning to civil servants who report to work late and those who are always absent during working hours, declaring that they will now be treated as ghost workers.

Speaking on Tuesday, July 15, he stated that habitual lateness and unexplained absences will no longer be tolerated in government offices. 

"Everybody working in any government office who doesn't report to work at the required time and those who report to work and later disappear will be treated as ghost workers moving forward," he said.

Ruku also announced immediate measures to identify and deal with those who fail to adhere to proper reporting times.

"Starting today, for those who are late, we are going to get your name, personal number as well as ID number and we will issue a show cause letter of why you are not taking your job seriously," he added.

Ruku further stated that oversight mechanisms were being strengthened across all government offices, from the sub-county to the national level.

"Moving forward, we are going to get in touch with all supervisors from the sub-county to the national level and you are going to introduce an attendance register to ensure each and every employee has a schedule of duties and to ensure that all employees adhere to the staff performance appraisal system," he further said.

Additionally, Ruku said the ministry plans to assess the working environment and gauge employee satisfaction in ministries and state departments.

"We are also going to carry out a baseline survey as a ministry to understand the satisfaction level of employees within the ministries and the state departments across the sub-county and regional offices," he noted.

Around the same time, Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, warned that civil servants who repeatedly fail to meet performance targets will face disciplinary action. 

In a statement on Wednesday, July 30, he emphasized that public officers are aware of the rules governing their duties and must comply or face consequences.

"Administratively, the rules are known, and so are the consequences. Disregard of lawful instructions will attract formal reprimand or corrective action. Repeated failure to meet performance targets will trigger structured interventions or sanctions as appropriate," he said.

Koskei also directed all ministries, departments, and agencies to take immediate steps to enforce performance management frameworks.

"All ministries, departments, and agencies are required to cascade the framework, conduct officer briefings, obtain signed acknowledgements, and submit compliance returns within twenty-one days," he added.