Public Service and Human Capital Development Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has warned that the government will not tolerate leakages in the national payroll system. Anyone found culpable will face the full force of the law, he said, according to The Star. The government has started a nationwide headcount of public officers. It targets ghost workers and unqualified promotions.
According to The Star, reports put the annual loss to ghost workers at more than Sh6 billion. The paper also reported that officers have been ordered to take mandatory 30-day leave. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is looking into suspected payroll irregularities. The report does not say which officers were affected or how many.
Ruku addressed human resource professionals at their annual conference in Naivasha. He told them to uphold high ethical standards, strengthen accountability and raise productivity. "When HR professionals abuse their trust, through ghost workers on the payroll, jobs sold for a fee, or promotions handed out to friends and relatives, it is not just an organisation that suffers but productivity in public service," he said.
The CS said the government wants to shift its focus from headcounts to productivity and from activities to outcomes. He asked HR officers to set clear, time-bound targets and measure performance objectively. Officers who deliver should be rewarded, he said, while those who fall short should be handled fairly. He also urged public institutions to set aside enough money for training, including to keep up with advances in artificial intelligence.
Ruku tied public service skills to the government's plan to secure jobs for Kenyans abroad. He cited Central Bank of Kenya data showing that Kenyans working abroad sent home $5 billion last year. Kenyan qualifications, he said, must meet international standards and be trusted across the region and beyond.
He added that a skilled workforce would help Kenyan businesses tap the African Continental Free Trade Area, a market of more than 1.3 billion people. He also pointed to the Dangote East Africa Petroleum and Petrochemicals Special Economic Zone. The project is expected to create up to 60,000 direct and indirect jobs. Ruku urged HR officers to make sure skilled young Kenyans can access them.