Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes. Geoffrey Ruku has announced a nationwide crackdown targeting corrupt human resource officers implicated in manipulating government payroll systems, with the operation set to begin this week.
Speaking in Embu on Sunday, October 12, 2025, Ruku revealed that a recent audit of the public service’s human resource systems had uncovered widespread malpractice, collusion, and systemic abuse aimed at siphoning public funds.
“We have identified disturbing trends where certain HR officials are helping individuals evade taxes and manipulate official records to remain in service illegally. Those involved will be prosecuted and face the full force of the law,” Ruku warned.
According to the audit report, some HR officers have been unlawfully altering the birth dates of public servants in government databases to extend their service beyond the mandatory retirement age.
The CS also disclosed that some human resource personnel have been facilitating illegal tax exemptions for select individuals, leading to significant revenue losses for the government. He emphasised that such fraudulent conduct would no longer be tolerated under his watch.
“We will be working very closely with the EACC to ensure taxpayers’ money is protected and that the public service becomes a model of merit, not a haven for corruption,” he stated.
He added that investigations into payroll fraud, ghost workers, irregular promotions, and illegal allowances are already underway.
The audit further exposed cases of job group manipulation, where civil servants were irregularly promoted or placed in higher salary brackets and within short periods without due process. Ruku noted that these actions have inflated the public wage bill and demoralised hardworking officers who adhere to proper procedures.
Fight the graft bane
To address these issues, the CS revealed that the Ministry will work in close collaboration with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and other relevant government agencies to investigate and take action against rogue HR officers at both the National and County levels.
“The President is very passionate about the war on corruption, and as Cabinet Secretary, I am fully aligned with that vision. We will clean up the system and restore dignity to public service,” he stated.
He reaffirmed his commitment to overhauling the payroll system, which he said has for years been manipulated to favour a few individuals at the expense of deserving civil servants and taxpayers.
Sending a strong message to all public officers. The government is coming for you. If you are involved in these irregularities, you will lose your job and be prosecuted,” he declared.
“It is time for public servants to be part of the solution, not the problem. Let us restore credibility, trust, and efficiency in our public institutions.”
