Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) are investigating claims of fraud in the county government of Kiambu payroll after it emerged that the previous administration hired over 3000 casual workers illegally in 2020 and 2021.
Also looped into the investigations are sleuths attached to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) after preliminary investigations established that the illegal casuals were also not paying taxes and other statutory deductions.
Detectives of the commission, according to sources are probing the matter with a view to having the illegally casual employees return the money and also be arraigned over obtaining money through false pretense.
The Kiambu county government hired 3,000 casual workers illegally in one year during ex-governor James Nyoro tenure.
The workers, according to sources were hired in 2020 and 2021, some of whom were listed as Public Relations Liason Officers and attached to the county departments and were earning between Sh1000 to Sh1, 500 per day leading to a bloated wage bill.
The matter has been raised by the Auditor General who also has forwarded the same to the Senate’s Public Accounts Committee chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang, and EACC for action.
“The investigation is building up. We are writing to the county leadership to seek documents of the aim on these illegal casuals. The objective is to ensure those involved face the law and the beneficiaries return what they earned illegally and be charged with fraud.,” a detective aware of the matter said, adding that soon they will start issuing summons.
The source added: “KRA is also looking into the matter because it has been established that the workers did not even provide their KRA PIN which means they have not been paying taxes.”
The Kiambu audit by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu which is before the Senate, in what would also be of interest to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) over nonpayment of taxes, auditors established that there were no records of KRA PIN for some of the employees, meaning that they did not pay tax, and there were no records of the identity cards, casting doubts on their existence.
“Examination for records provided for audit review revealed that the management hired two thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine, casual employees, during the year under review (2020-2021) at a cost of Sh299, 079, 462. However, the records provided lacked details of the hiring procedure and personal information including ID’s, KRA PINs, and approvals by the advisory committee. In the circumstances, management breached the law,” reads part of the audit report.
Further, auditors established that the county did not involve the County Public Service Board which is mandated to hire workers and that there were no records of what the employees were doing, suggesting that some of them were ghost workers who were earning income at the comfort of their home or other workplaces.
Governor Kimani Wamatangi, during a recent live TV interview said some of the illegal casuals were hired after blackmailing and arm twisting the previous regimes using lies.
Already, the governor has announced that he terminated contracts for the illegal casuals even as he continues without payroll audit.