Census

A KNBS clerk lists truck drivers at a road block along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway. 

| Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group

Ghost workers pocketed Sh18 million census cash

A parliamentary committee heard yesterday that the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) might have paid ‘ghost workers’ Sh18.5 million to help in the mapping of areas during the 2019 census.

The revelation emerged yesterday during a meeting between KNBS officials and the National Assembly Public Investments Committee (PIC) where signatures of those who were paid the Sh18 million was not provided yet the money was spent.

Director General of KNBS George Obudho admitted to the lawmakers that the bureau did not have signatures of those who received the money because the elders were paid cash and they did not sign anywhere.

Lawmakers have now cast doubt on the exercise, saying the irregularity of the expenditure of the Sh18 million is an indication that KNBS might have been misled by the elders and relied on wrong statistics to arrive at the final report.

The committee has given KNBS one week to present a list of all its staff who were given the money to pay the elders so that the money can be recovered from them, since there is no evidence that they paid out the money.

The statistics bureau involved village elders from across the 47 counties to help their staff in cartographic mapping during the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census to the tune of Sh18,509,600

Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, in her 2018/2019 report that is now subject of deliberation at PIC, says there was no official list of the number and names of the village elders who participated in the mapping as claimed by KNBS.

Details such as name, identification number, division, location, sub-location and the village the elders represented prior to the beginning of the exercise were also missing.

“It was also noted that the attached payment schedules included names and signatures that could not be validated in any way. Similarly, there was no evidence of attendance for the three days they were indicated as paid for. Consequently, the accuracy, completeness and validity of the Sh18,509,600 payment could not be confirmed,” reads the audit report.

Ruaraka MP Tom Kajwang’ said without the evidence of signatures of the village elders who were allegedly paid, and verification of the details by the Auditor General, then it was clear the money was paid to ‘ghost workers’.

“We are able to see through these things. Are the people who were paid alive or dead, did KNBS pay real workers or ghost workers?” asked Mr Kajwang’

“We need a list of the officers who were given this money to pay village elders. We want them to pay it back,” Mr Kajwang’ added.

“In the event that we are not satisfied that those monies were paid to the elders, this committee will recommend recovery of the money from the staff,” said the committee vice chairperson, Mr Ibrahim Abdisalan (Wajir North).

Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire said: “Now I see why village elders are always complaining that they don’t get money meant for them. Maybe we will be surprised to find out that the work by village elders was even done by volunteers, yet Sh18 million was spent,” Mr Mwambire said.

Kinangop MP Kwenya Thuku faulted KNBS for handling the 18.5 million casually without any evidence of payment.

“We are in the information age where we have systems of payment, including M-Pesa, you cannot come and tell us that you entrusted your staff with Sh18.5 million to just dish out money without evidence,” Mr Thuku said.

Mr Obudho told the committee that the payment was made by staff in the presence of chiefs and assistant chiefs.

“If by any chance there is something wrong with the payment, then we will not blame anyone but ourselves,” Mr Obudho said.

The management of the KNBS is now expected back to the committee after one week to give evidence and clarification of the payments made.