By MUTINDA MWANZIA
The ongoing head count at the City Hall aimed at weeding out ‘ghost’ workers has reached a tally of 2,311 employees.
Town Clerk Philip Kisia said the firm contracted to conduct the exercise, which entered its third day today, was using modern technology to ensure workers do not register twice.
"The exercise is a success and I appeal to workers who have not been counted to do so," said Kisia
City Hall has picked PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to audit its roll of staff and develop a new employees structure.
Kisia said the headcount would enable the council pay its staff better and deploy them according to their qualifications.
"I can assure you that we will bust the ‘ghost’ workers and usher better terms and conditions for our employees," said Kisia.
Speaking during a news conference at City Hall, Kisia said yesterday the number of workers reflected in the payroll was suspect.
Parallel workers
"That’s why as management, we decided to contract an audit team to give us the correct figure of our employees," he said.
Kisia said the council pays Sh340 million monthly as salaries to workers estimated to be 12,000. He claimed a cartel running a parallel workers list receives some of the money paid as salaries and allowances.
Kisia urged workers to ignore a call by Kenya Local Government Workers Union to boycott the exercise.
But the union Nairobi branch Secretary Benson Oliang’a said the exercise should be postponed until further notice.
Mr Olianga, who spoke to The Standard, said the council did not consult the union before the audit.
Meanwhile, operations at City Hall were paralysed for almost an hour after more than 300 hawkers protesting their eviction from Pumwani Road camped at the main gate.
The hawkers, who were waving twigs and placards stormed City Hall at 11.00am and demanded to be addressed by Kisia. Mr Peter Kariuki, one of the hawkers, said: "We have lost our source of daily bread due to the continued harassment and eviction by the council askaris."
The hawkers were, however, dispersed by riot police after they defied orders they leave City Hall.
