To tighten the reins on public sector finances, the Ministry of Public Service has deactivated 4,149 employees from the national payroll. This move marks a significant milestone in the government’s ongoing initiative to root out inefficiencies and improve payroll integrity but also save tax payers money for other important initiatives including the 2026 elections.
The deactivation followed a comprehensive validation process conducted from March to June 2024, in response to recommendations from the Office of the Auditor General. Permanent Secretary Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwiire explained that the exercise aimed to eliminate payroll discrepancies that had been plaguing the system, including ghost workers, retirees, and absentees who had continued to draw salaries.
“The validation report was submitted to Cabinet, and under Minute No. 347 (CT 2024), a Sub-Committee was appointed to refine the Ministry’s recommendations and provide feedback within two weeks. On January 9, 2025, the Committee convened and directed the deactivation of the identified records from the payroll,” Bitarakwate stated.
The 4,149 individuals affected by this cleanup represent various categories: 2,967 employees who skipped the validation, 15 ghost workers, 557 retirees or resigned employees, 368 absconders, and 242 deceased officers who remained on the payroll due to clerical oversights. A financial analysis of the payroll cleanup estimates that the government will save 2.51 billion shillings monthly. The breakdown of these savings is telling: 1.5 billion shillings from missed employees, 9.2 million from ghost workers, 538.3 million from retirees or resigned workers, 291.8 million from absconders, and 215.6 million from deceased employees.
While this cleanup illustrates the financial strain of inaccuracies in payroll management, it also presents an opportunity for the Ministry to take proactive steps in ensuring a more accountable public service. Bitarakwate emphasized that “all individuals in the listed categories have been removed from the January 2025 payroll” and urged accounting officers to recommend any deactivated employees eligible for reactivation by submitting a clearance letter personally signed by the responsible officer.
Bitarakwate noted that revalidation opportunities will only be available between January 20 and February 7, 2025, and emphasized that “the clearance letter must be issued individually and accompanied by original academic and professional documents, original appointment and confirmation letters, original National Identity Card and employer Identity Card, payslips for December 2024 and January 2025, and certified minutes of appointment.”
For the public, this cleanup process signifies more than just financial savings; it is also a move towards greater transparency and responsibility in government operations.
In July 2024, the Ministry of Public Service had initially identified over 7,000 employees for removal after failing to meet the Auditor General’s requirements. However, some cases were reviewed, leading to adjustments reflected in the latest payroll cleanup.
