Agency probes claims of irregular staff hiring

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui (left) with his predecessor Kinuthia Mbugua. The former governor in a spot as EACC searches past administrations' operations. [File, Standard]

The Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission (EACC) has opened investigations into claims of nepotism in staff recruitment in the previous administration.

At least 100 county officers hired during former Governor Kinuthia Mbugua’s tenure have been summoned for questioning.

Revenue theft

Sources told The Standard the detectives are also focusing on claims of a revenue theft syndicate during the same period.

Mr Mbugua was appointed State House Comptroller after he lost to Governor Lee Kinyanjui in last year's August 8, General Election.

The agency has summoned the workers for interrogation beginning today.

In a letter addressed to the County Secretary Benjamin Karanja, and signed by a Mr Hassan Khalid- for EACC's Chief Executive Officer, the staff, mostly revenue collectors, are supposed to carry with them certified copies of their appointment letters.

Mr Khalid wrote that a team of four detectives would conduct the investigations and record statements from employees.

The anti-graft agency has been cagey about details of the probe.

New administration

Mr Kinyanjui was quick to point out that issues raised by the investigators had nothing to do with his administration. “Yes, quite a number of county officers have been summoned by EACC, but over offenses they committed during the tenure of my predecessor. It has nothing to do with the new administration,” Kinyanjui told The Standard.

His county executive in charge of public service, training and devolution, Lawrence Mwania said details of the alleged offenses would only become clear after the investigation.

“I have been informed about the summonses but details about the offences being probed are still not clear. Some of those summoned died long before the summonses,” said Mr Mwania.

Most of the officers under investigation work in the County Treasury department as revenue collectors in 11 sub-counties.

The previous administration was dogged with allegations of revenue pilferage, rampant cases of fake parking receipts and trade licenses.

The most affected was the Mai Mahiu lorry parkingbay in Naivasha, where, according to financial reports, the county is said to have lost millions of shillings between 2015 and 2017.

There are also claims that some of those summoned may have been irregularly hired. These claims are fueled by EACC's demand for certified copies of letters of appointment.

Irregular recruitment

In 2016, a committee formed by the County Assembly to investigate irregular recruitment established that up to 200 people were irregularly hired.

In its report that has not been implemented to date, the committee concluded that the County Public Service Board, the county secretary and a chief officer in the public service department should be held liable for the irregular hiring.

The county government has finalised a staff bio-metric registration and skills audit to weed out ghost workers.

The report of the audit is expected this week.