- Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku directed 84 human resource officers to step aside following a DCI probe into payroll irregularities
- The probe uncovered suspicious transactions in the Ministry of Health, Kenya Police Service, and Kenya Prison Service payrolls
- The CS revoked the officers' system access and ordered a mandatory 30-day leave to allow forensic investigations to proceed
TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary (CS) Geoffrey Ruku has directed 84 human resource officers to relinquish their payroll system access and proceed on a mandatory 30-day leave, following preliminary findings by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations that point to irregular transactions across several government agencies.
Source: Twitter
The directive was announced in a statement dated Friday, October 16, after a DCI probe identified suspicious activity in the payroll systems of the Ministry of Health, Kenya Police Service, and Kenya Prison Service.
What triggered the administrative action?
The investigations uncovered transactions that authorities believe may have caused significant losses of public funds, estimated at KSh 6.2 billion.
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Ruku framed the action as a necessary step to safeguard public resources in line with constitutional obligations governing their management.
"I have directed the revocation of payroll system user rights of 84 human resources officers and an implementation of mandatory 30-day leave to allow further forensic investigations of the identified irregular transactions that have potentially led to loss of public funds," Ruku said.
What next for the HR officers?
The Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes said it would, with immediate effect, deploy replacement HR officers to take over payroll management in the affected ministry and police services while investigations continue.
Ruku indicated that officers found responsible for the irregularities would face stern consequences once the forensic review is concluded.
The CS grounded the directive in the constitutional duty of public officers to utilise public resources prudently, stating that anyone who violates the laws governing public fund management must be held personally accountable for any resulting losses.
What did the payroll audit uncover?
As previously reported, Ruku said the internal audit initiated in June exposed extensive payroll irregularities across government departments.
The review identified cases of civil servants whose employment records indicated they were hired before birth or before reaching the age of 18.
Investigators estimate that the questionable payments, including instances where several salaries were channelled into one bank account.
Source: TUKO.co.ke