Wamuzi News Ke
In a startling revelation that has dropped like a bomb into the corridors of government, a special audit has exposed civil servants illegally drawing pay from both county and national government coffers—flagrantly breaching the Constitution and public service laws.
The audit, spearheaded by the office of the Auditor General, scrutinized the payroll records covering the financial years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.
The results are nothing short of alarming: widespread abuse of taxpayer money as employees appear simultaneously on multiple government payrolls. Counts of double employment spanned across counties:Vihiga County saw a single county employee also on the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) payroll, pocketing KSh 156,150 in 2022-23.
In Kwale, a teacher amassed KSh 625,520 from county funds over eight months, quitting mid-way but allegedly still drawing from the TSC.Mandera suffered similar losses with one educator collecting KSh 390,471 from the county while still employed by TSC.
Trans Nzoia had two individuals drawing a combined total of KSh 833,409 while serving more than one government arm.
Troubling figures in Machakos revealed nine officers double-hired between 2022 and 2024, earning roughly KSh 6.51 million from the county and another KSh 6.52 million elsewhere at the same time.
Migori featured an odd case involving duplicated national identification numbers—one employee reportedly collected KSh 357,230 from the county and KSh 810,684 from another government body.Wajir recorded an individual pulling KSh 2.48 million over three years from both the county executive and TSC.
Kiambu echoed this trend with a TSC teacher also gaining from county employment.This disturbing trend isn’t just about theft—it strikes at the core of public accountability and equal opportunity.
Article 77 of the Kenyan Constitution and the Leadership and Integrity Act explicitly bar public officers from holding multiple gainful positions, warning they risk conflicts of interest and erosion of integrity.
Moreover, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has repeatedly condemned dual employment, highlighting that it effectively denies employment opportunities to millions of jobless Kenyans.
The Auditor General’s report doesn’t mince words: these findings reflect systemic weaknesses in payroll controls, exposing the country to ghost or duplicate employee schemes, inflated wage bills, and compromised public trust.
What This Means.
The fallout from this revelation is far-reaching:Public anger is mounting, as citizens see their hard-earned taxes siphoned into the pockets of illicit beneficiaries.Political pressure will intensify on county and national officials to tighten payroll systems and enforce compliance.
Audits and corrective measures are likely to be demanded across all counties—even those not yet implicated.Legal investigations may follow, potentially leading to prosecutions that could reshape public service governance.
This explosive disclosure lands at a critical moment—amid ongoing struggles to balance development, wage bills, and governance integrity. With the audit out in the open, the countdown begins for reforms that must stem the tide of payroll abuse, restore public trust, and ensure every shilling of taxpayer money serves its intended purpose.
