- The Ministry of Education became the first government department to roll out a mandatory physical verification exercise for all public servants
- 84 human resource officials from the Kenya Prison Service, Kenya Police Service, and Ministry of Health had their payroll access withdrawn over suspected fraud
- DCI investigators flagged shocking irregularities, including employees allegedly recruited before they were born and multiple workers sharing the same bank accounts
The Kenyan government has launched a mandatory physical verification exercise for public servants as a probe into an estimated KSh 6.2 billion payroll fraud widens, with preliminary findings pointing to irregularities that investigators say may have been orchestrated from within government departments.
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The Ministry of Education became the first to implement the headcount following an internal memo dated October 16, 2026, directing all heads of directorates to physically account for every employee under their supervision beginning Monday, October 19.
Staff were required to report to Jogoo House carrying original national identity cards, KRA PIN certificates, first appointment letters, and current appointment letters.
What the Ministry of Education Directive Requires
The exercise covers all employees without exception, including those on authorised leave or admitted to hospital. Any public servant who fails to present themselves for verification faces an immediate salary stoppage, according to the memo.
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The verification is aimed at confirming that every individual drawing a government salary is a legitimate employee with a verifiable employment history.
Officials Implicated in the Payroll Probe
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Roku disclosed that Directorate of Criminal Investigations findings had implicated 84 human resource officials from three government departments: the Kenya Prison Service, the Kenya Police Service, and the Ministry of Health.
The officials have had their access to the government payroll system revoked and were directed to step aside for 30 working days to allow investigations to proceed without interference.
DCI investigators uncovered a series of serious irregularities in the payroll system.
These include employees who appear to have been recruited before their date of birth, individuals hired before reaching 18 years of age, multiple workers registered under a single bank account, and salary payments processed for individuals with no valid bank account details, raising questions about how those funds were eventually accessed.
The government says the investigation will establish how the scheme operated, who was responsible, and the full extent of the financial damage, which is currently estimated at KSh 6.2 billion.
What Comes Next for the Government Payroll
The Ministry of Education headcount is expected to serve as a pilot for a broader rollout across other government ministries, departments, and agencies in the coming weeks.
No specific timeline for completing the nationwide exercise has been announced.
The implication of 84 officials with direct access to payroll systems suggests the alleged fraud relied on insider knowledge, a factor the government says informed its decision to withdraw their system access immediately.
Depending on the findings, the implicated officials could face disciplinary action, criminal charges, or both.
For legitimately employed public servants, the government has made clear the exercise poses no risk. The stated objective is to ensure every salary payment from the public purse reaches a genuine employee and to close off any avenue for further manipulation of the system.
Source: TUKO.co.ke