Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya defended the dismissal of 700 casual workers. He stated the workers were ghost employees who strained the county payroll. Last week, the county administration sent these workers home and asked for their employment letters, sparking protests.
The dismissed workers accused the county government of unlawfully terminating their contracts. In March last year, Natembeya received a report from a task force that audited the county’s pending bills and human resources. Former Auditor-General Edward Ouko led the panel, which discovered significant irregularities in recruiting casual workers. The audit recommended restructuring the remuneration system for accountability.
The audit revealed discrepancies in staffing records. The integrated payroll and personnel database listed 3,113 staff members. The manual register showed only 106 and 673 casual workers, totaling 3,892 staff. The report indicated some employees did not attend the audit conducted from September 19 to 22, 2022. They failed to notify the task force about their absence. The audit identified 470 ghost workers who received payments without showing up for work.
The task force noted over 400 individuals claimed to be county employees but lacked supporting documentation. Despite these findings, the dismissed workers protested, hoping for permanent positions.
Juma Kiboi, chairman of the Kenya County Government Workers Union’s Trans Nzoia branch, called for the immediate reinstatement of the workers. He claimed their dismissal was unjust. Union coordinator Mr. William Katila stated it was unfair to label the staff as ghost workers since some had been present before devolution.
Governor Natembeya criticized the protesting workers for not being sincere, claiming they organized protests instead of providing their employment letters. He emphasized the county acted on the task force’s recommendations
