Ghost workers haunt Kenyan state

In the corridors of Kenya's civil service, a sinister scandal brews, draining the country's coffers dry.

- Oliver-Twist Amani

Purloined: Kenyan President William Ruto's government is being milked by ghost workers. Photo: Facebook

(Facebook)

Ghost workers - nonexistent employees with fictitious faces - have been siphoning off a staggering US$31 million annually, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill.

A recent audit by the Ministry of Public Service and the Auditor General has uncovered a massive theft scheme, implicating senior officials in a web of deceit that spans across government ministries, departments, and agencies.

Even the State House.

The cartel's brazen heist involves collusion with nonexistent civil servants, retired civil servants and even People Living with Disabilities (PLWD), who receive special tax exemptions and reliefs without proper documentation.

The numbers are alarming: one individual received five salaries, totaling US$4,000 over six months.

The Public Service Commission previously reported over 17,000 ghost workers on the payroll.

The scam, involving senior Human Resource, Accounts, and Finance officers, runs through State Departments to the National Treasury to State House - the seat of Power in Kenya.