Report of 935 ghost useless- Board

 Kitui  Public Service Board
rejects Malombe's staff audit

By Daniel Kituku and Mercy Musangi

CONTROVERSY is brewing about the alleged findings of 935 ghost workers in the Kitui County Government after doubt was cast over the integrity of the audit.

The Kitui County Public  Service Board  chairperson described as opaque the staff audit and distanced her board from human resource  audit report presented to Kitui Governor Dr. Julius Malombe recently. 

The Board  under the leadership of Florence Munanie Makindi took a firm stand against the the 935 ghost workers report by Florence Muinde and team  and alleged that an audit team member, who happens to be the immediate former County Public Service Board chair intentionally sidelined the current board in participating or giving any  views in the important exercise. 

The Board  further states the audit team  surprisingly wrote a letter to the former interdicted Board Secretary who has been illegally in office to give information without the knowledge of the Board and the Chair, rather than contact the current office bearers.

In a letter seen by The Anchor dated March 3, 2023 and signed by Dr.  Makindi, the board  disowns the the Permanent and Pensionable ghost workers dated back to 2017 and placed the responsibility on the former chair who was also involved in the same audit . Dr Makindi pointed out that Dr. Muinde and her team failed to submit names of the said 56 ECD ghost teachers revealed during the headcount to facilitate the board establish the grounds upon which teachers did not submit themselves to the headcount.

The report was handed over to Governor Malombe last week. It revealed that out of the 935 ghost workers, 326 are Permanent and Pensionable employees, 23 are contractual, 56 ECDE teachers and 530 casuals. Dr Muinde alleged that the County Public Service Board recruited 592 employees without evidence of accompanying requests and affirmation of the availability of funds for Personnel Emoluments (PE) from the relevant Chief Officers. 34 officers across different cadres were also appointed into positions without meeting the minimum requirements as per the career progression guidelines and the advertisement that declared the vacancies, the report indicates.

As soon as the report was submitted, a rogue worker at the board released a list of 647 staff, including the current Deputy County Secretary Mr Alex Kimanzi, claiming they were irregularly employed. 

The list contains mostly staff hired after 2021, upon the expiry of the term of Mrs Masya. The report by the audit team appears to claim that the only legitimate staff were those hired during Masya's tenure. Masya was hired during Dr Malombe's term. It appears that the current audit seeks to create room for removal of the current board that was appointed by Governor Charity Ngilu.

Below is an extract of the response of the Chairperson:

“It is against this backdrop that the Kitui Public Service Board takes its stand to clarify the following; The issue of 935 ghost workers –thanks to the same audit committee for agreeing that the board never engaged any casuals. The board disowns the Permanent and Pensionable ghost workers dating back to 2017 as the responsibility lies on the former chair who was also involved in the said audit.

About the issue of 56 ECDE ghost teachers - it is again disturbing that through a letter dated 23/2/2023 the chair Dr. Florence Muinde declined to submit the names of the said  56 ghost ECDE teachers revealed during the head count. The request was made to facilitate the board establish the ground of teachers who turned out for recruitment giving reasons why they were not counted

The issue of irregular recruitment without Intents and Budget…immediately the board assumed office a letter from the board to executive was done requesting for both intents and approved budget and evidence of response from executive giving intents according to organizational structure and availability of approved budget for 2021-2022 is available.

From the foregoing the Kitui Service Board declares that the audit report presented by Dr.Florence Muinde was subjective and tentamount to defamation, the report lacked merit and therefore the board disowns it’s findings”, Dr. Makindi said.