Kisumu County using salaries to identify ghost workers

Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru (standing) witnesses as deputy governor Ruth Odinga’s Biometric Data is registered during an exercise launched last year to bring down the wage bill by weeding out ghost workers. [FILE]

KISUMU: The county has stepped up its push to weed out ghost workers by requiring its more than 3,400 employees to collect their January salaries at their respective workstations.

This will be the first time county workers physically pick their pay from their supervisors since it has always been wired to their individual bank accounts.

A notice from County Secretary Humphrey Nakitare, circulated to all supervisors, says workers should come for their pay between January 29 to February 6 armed with original national identity cards, first letter of appointment, letter of deployment to the current position and a copy of the latest payslip.

Speaking to The Standard, the Secretary said the county has resorted to this method to help them identify their legitimate workers while weeding out 'parasites'.

Mr Nakitare said those who will not have physically picked up their cheques at the stipulated time and venues will be considered ghost workers.

He said the county is grappling with a huge wage bill of Sh280 million per month, adding that this move is the first in a series set to ensure only eligible workers get their pay.

STOP WASTAGE

"Once this is done, we will analyse the findings to determine how best we can curb this ghost workers menace. Supervisors at every payment centre will be held responsible in case the wrong people get the money," he said.

Even though a section of workers feel the process is intimidating, Nakitare called upon them to respond positively, saying the process does not target anyone but is aimed at fighting fraud in the county's payroll.

The county official said each supervisor will be issued with cheques for staff who work under them and they are to hand these out only to those who physically appear.

"We hope supervisors know the people who work under them since we are depending on them to help us in this. Any staff member who does not pick their cheque will also be required to explain why," he said.

The county's move to weed out ghost workers comes barely five months after the Industrial Court in Kisumu stopped the Government's biometric registration of all national and county government workers.

The programme was halted after workers unions in Kakamega, Trans Nzoia, Kisumu, Migori, Bungoma and Busia counties challenged it in court.

Dubbed Capacity Assessment and Rationalisation of the Public Service, it was initiated by Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru to weed out ghost workers.