The Cabinet has approved bold steps to eliminate ghost workers from government, a move aimed at saving millions of shillings lost through an inflated wage bill. During its first full meeting since the swearing-in of the reconstituted Cabinet, chaired by President William Ruto, the Cabinet recognized the widespread presence of ghost workers across various government offices, who continue to collect millions in salaries and allowances from taxpayers.
In a statement issued to newsrooms, the Cabinet endorsed the implementation of a unified personnel identification system to eliminate payroll fraud related to ghost workers at all levels of government, including constitutional commissions.
This decision follows warnings from the Auditor General and the Controller of Budget, who recently described the rising wage bill as unsustainable.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) also reported a bloated public service draining public funds. In its annual report for the 2022/2023 financial year, the PSC revealed there were 19,467 ghost workers within the national government, including 12,535 in ministries and departments, 4,558 in state corporations, and 2,287 in public universities. The report also indicated that State House alone has over 100 ghost workers.
The Cabinet further resolved to create a legal and institutional framework for the mandatory and continuous vetting of public officers and to centralize wealth declarations under a single office.
To speed up the resolution of corruption cases, the Cabinet approved amendments to laws such as the Evidence Act and the Criminal Procedure Code, aiming to conclude such cases within six months.
In addition, as part of Kenya’s transition to Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the Cabinet agreed to expand programs like Edu Afya, which currently covers secondary school students, to include all school-going children. The Linda Mama program will also be extended to offer not only prenatal care but comprehensive postnatal care, ensuring a more complete approach to maternal and child health.
The Cabinet noted that, to date, the Hustler Fund has disbursed Ksh.57 billion to Kenyans, with at least 2 million customers now regular daily borrowers.
To expand financial inclusion, the Cabinet directed the rollout of a third product offering specifically focused on the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector. This new product will initially target the 2 million beneficiaries who have demonstrated a strong credit history with the fund.
