NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 27– The Ministry of Public Service is set to initiate a biometric registration process for all public servants as part of efforts to identify ghost workers.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria said a payroll audit is already underway.
“As we intensify efforts to rid ourselves of ghosts, the Ministry of Public Service will commence the biometric registration of all 900,000 public servants, whose salaries are funded by taxpayers,” Kuria said, emphasizing the eradication of ghost workers from the government payroll as a top priority.
He underscored the prevalence of ghost employees across various sectors, including civil servants, teachers, students, and elderly citizens receiving cash transfers.
This announcement follows recent revelations by the Public Service Commission (PSC) of nearly 20,000 ghost workers detected on the government payroll during the 2022/2023 financial year.
According to the PSC’s annual report, various government agencies and departments reported significant discrepancies in employee numbers compared to approved staffing levels.
Six organizations were identified with notable disparities, each reporting an excess of over 100 employees compared to the recorded staff in their registers.
State House was among the entities flagged in the report, with an alleged 483 ghost workers identified on its payroll.