An Institute of Professional Human Resource Management audit revealed that Migori County has 607 ghost workers.
The consultancy report commissioned by arear Governor Ochillo Ayacko indicates that the county had employed 427 casual workers although the number was 1,034 showing 607 were ghost workers.
While receiving the report at the County State House, Migori Dr Ayacko stated that the report also involved an audit of the payroll and workforce.
The payroll audit showed a disparity of Sh120m in one month and in another month jumping to over Sh200m. With that the governor said the county has been losing over Sh60 million to pay for ghost workers who have no designated working offices
“This will be the first step towards service delivery and giving our mandate and pledges to the people which was to streamline and seal corruption loopholes since annually we were losing Sh60m to ghosts,” governor Ayacko said.
In the same report, it became clear that casual workers in similar job groups were receiving different salaries with a discrepancy of Sh300, 000 between them.
Worst of all, the governor noted, the ghost workers were placed in revenue collection, a very important sector a situation which exposed the county to a streak of losing revenue in millions of shillings.
The governor also criticized the manner in which the county had been employing its staff with a glaring indication of employment done without any budget or positions being filled unadvertised.
“The audit report shows where the ghost employees worked lacked vacancies while key departments that needed additional human resources were seriously understaffed, said the governor.
The report was handed to Caleb Opondi the new Public Service Management and Devolution executive with a directive to strictly implement its recommendations.
By Polycarp Ochien’g and George Agimba
