Narok payroll purge to save taxpayers Sh17m in salaries
Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu. He has directed the removal of 57 employees who had reached the age of retirement, 52 with fake certificates and 71 who did not show up for the human resource audit.
The public wage bill at the Narok County Government is set to reduce by over Sh17 million per month following an audit of the Integrated Payroll and Personal Database (IPPD).
Governor Patrick Ntutu has directed the removal of 57 employees who had reached the age of retirement as at July last year, 52 with fake certificates, and 71 who did not show up for the human resource audit. Mr Ntutu received the audit report at the county headquarters yesterday.
"The report revealed that employees past retirement and those ought to have retired by the month of December 2023 were 143. Employees with verified fake certificates were 52, and employees who never appeared for the human resource audit were 71. Those who never presented their academic credentials were 535," he said. The 57 employees who had reached the age of retirement by the time of the audit cost the county Sh4,641,077 every month while the 52 workers with fake certificates were paid Sh3, 223,585 per month.
Additionally, the 71 employees who did not show up for the staff audit gobbled up Sh4,628,857.
The 61 employees who ought to have retired by the end of December 2023, costing the devolved unit Sh4,638,150, will also be removed from the county payroll.
"They will be struck out of the Narok County Government payroll immediately. We do not want to continue paying people whom we do not know," Mr Ntutu said.
Furthermore, 535 employees who did not present their academic credentials during the staff audit are required to report to county government headquarters on Tuesday for a meeting that will be chaired by the governor.
Mr Ntutu warned that action will be taken only after these employees present themselves and explain the lack of academic credentials. The audit, conducted in July last year, revealed that the staff headcount was 5,120, comprising 56.6 percent male and 43.4 percent female.
Of this total, 4,865 are permanent and pensionable, 71 are permanent with gratuity, 124 are on contracts, and 60 are casual employees.
The majority of the workforce (84 percent) hails from within the county, with the remainder coming from outside. The county's gross monthly salary, recorded during the May 2023 audit, stands at Sh315,304,773, excluding statutory deductions.
Governor Ntutu has established a seven-member committee ,comprising members of the executive and the County Public Service Board, to scrutinise the report, including its findings and recommendations.
The committee has been tasked to formulate an implementation plan and ensure that the work is completed within one month.
The move, Mr Ntutu further revealed, is aimed at streamlining the county's payroll, enhancing accountability, and addressing issues promptly.
