Garissa County government workers hired under unclear circumstances will face a special panel to defend themselves against possible sacking.
This was announced by Governor Nathif Jama when he disclosed the shocking findings of a workforce audit conducted in the past two months.
The audit revealed that more than 180 top-level county staff were employed without a degree certificate.
Only 44 of the 180 directors and their assistants have the required university degree.
The audit showed that the county hired directors and their deputies who did not have the mandatory academic papers to head the dockets.
Another 100 people were hired as drivers in Garissa when the county government only had 12 vehicles in the transport department.
Garissa also harbours many ghost workers, he said.
Governor Jama regretted that this had led to poor services and low development.
He said at least 3,500 people have been earning salaries both in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database and in Excel sheet payments for casual workers.
“Close to 7,000 staff are earning salaries both in the official salary system and in the excel sheets where payments of hundreds if not thousands of casuals are processed,” he said.
The county government spends Sh450 million every month on salaries, putting the wage bill at 70 percent of spending, way above the legal requirement of 35 percent under the Public Finance Management Act.
Governor Jama said most of the workers were hired without job advertisements in the county by his predecessor.
“Before any employment, a department makes a request to the County Public Service Board and the vacancy to be filled has to be advertised, then a competent person is hired through interviewing,” Governor Jama said.
He vehemently defended himself against public accusations of arbitrary sacking of county employees.
“There are those making noise claiming that they have been unjustly sacked,” he said.
“We are a responsible government and we are giving them an opportunity to come forward and present their case so that we can know how you entered into the payroll.”
He added that the county cannot have such a large wage bill and be able to carry out development projects. “Our story is just not unique but it is extremely shocking,” he said.
It was impossible to hire everyone in Garissa and also provide all the essential services to residents.
The governor plans to carry out a headcount of county workers before embarking on verifying their documents.
“We have people working outside the country while others are busy herding their animals and yet they are on the county payroll,” Mr Jama said.
A top county official is accused of employing two of his sons – one as director of diaspora affairs, based in the United Kingdom, and the other as director for ICT.
Nation.Africa could not independently confirm these allegations though we have copies of their purported appointment letters.
The official is also accused of sanctioning the hiring of a county chief chef with no academic qualification in job group N. BY DAILY NATION