Kenya's Nyamira County Government has sent home payroll staff while a scam valued at Sh84 million (US$830,000) is investigated.
According to Standard Media, the county has reportedly been losing Sh1.16 million (US$11,469) every month for the last six years, thanks to the fraudulent payment of salaries.
Deputy Governor Amos Nyaribo said the decision to send home staff was reached following a human resource and payroll audit report from the Institute of Human Resource Audit.
The study concluded that the County of Nyamira has been losing the money to 24 officers each month as they were being fraudulently paid, together with an individual who was not an employee of the county government.
Nyaribo said: "As a result of the audit report, the County Executive Committee has resolved to suspend the 24 officers and also decided to send the entire payroll staff on a 15-day paid administrative leave effective immediately to give room for further investigations."
It was also revealed that 32 county employees, including senior managers, used faked academic certificates to secure their jobs. The names have been forwarded to the Directorate of Criminal Intelligence.
"We have 4,000 county employees and all of them must pass through the process of having their credentials examined, and we are sure more other such cases will be found," said Nyaribo.
Emma Woollacott is a freelance business journalist. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the Guardian, the Times, Forbes and the BBC.
Kenya's Nyamira County Government has sent home payroll staff while a scam valued at Sh84 million (US$830,000) is investigated.
According to Standard Media, the county has reportedly been losing Sh1.16 million (US$11,469) every month for the last six years, thanks to the fraudulent payment of salaries.
Deputy Governor Amos Nyaribo said the decision to send home staff was reached following a human resource and payroll audit report from the Institute of Human Resource Audit.
The study concluded that the County of Nyamira has been losing the money to 24 officers each month as they were being fraudulently paid, together with an individual who was not an employee of the county government.
Nyaribo said: "As a result of the audit report, the County Executive Committee has resolved to suspend the 24 officers and also decided to send the entire payroll staff on a 15-day paid administrative leave effective immediately to give room for further investigations."
It was also revealed that 32 county employees, including senior managers, used faked academic certificates to secure their jobs. The names have been forwarded to the Directorate of Criminal Intelligence.
"We have 4,000 county employees and all of them must pass through the process of having their credentials examined, and we are sure more other such cases will be found," said Nyaribo.
Emma Woollacott is a freelance business journalist. Her work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the Guardian, the Times, Forbes and the BBC.
