CS Ruku suspends payroll access for 84 HR officers in Sh6.2billion fraud probe
Ruku directed Principal Secretaries and Accounting Officers in the affected state departments to ensure the officers proceed on mandatory leave and that all administrative measures are undertaken in accordance with the law.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has ordered 84 Human Resource officers from the Kenya Prisons Service, Kenya Police Service and two departments in the Ministry of Health to step aside for 30 working days as detectives investigate suspected payroll fraud involving Sh6.2 billion.
Ruku announced the measures during a press briefing at Harambee House today, Friday, October 16, 2026 saying the officers had been implicated in suspected irregularities flagged by a government payroll audit and a subsequent report by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) dated October 7, 2026.
The officers have had their access to the government payroll system revoked as the government moves to prevent further suspected manipulation and safeguard public funds while investigations continue.
Ruku directed Principal Secretaries and Accounting Officers in the affected state departments to ensure the officers proceed on mandatory leave and that all administrative measures are undertaken in accordance with the law.
“These findings demand immediate action,” Ruku said, directing the relevant officials to withdraw the officers’ payroll system privileges and ensure they step aside for the 30-working-day period.
The CS said the Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes would immediately deploy replacement human resource officers to manage payroll operations in the affected institutions.
The replacements will be granted the necessary access to the government payroll system to ensure salaries continue to be processed without disruption as investigators examine the flagged transactions.
The measures follow a Cabinet directive to the DCI to investigate alleged manipulation of the public service payroll after an audit by the ministry raised concerns over suspected losses amounting to KSh6.2 billion.
Ruku said further administrative and disciplinary action would be guided by the evidence gathered and applicable legal provisions.
He also indicated that arrests could be made before the 30-working-day period expires as the investigations progress, particularly in connection with suspected irregularities at the Kenya Prisons Service.
The probe is expected to establish the nature and extent of the alleged payroll manipulation, identify the transactions involved and determine the individual responsibility of officers who may have facilitated or failed to prevent the suspected losses.
The government has pledged to pursue legal action against officials found culpable, with Ruku emphasising that public servants have a constitutional obligation to manage public resources prudently and remain accountable for actions or omissions that result in the loss of public funds.
