Government Probes Health, Police and Prisons Payroll Systems

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku announced on October 16 that 84 human resources officers had lost access to the payroll system and would take mandatory 30-day leave. The move follows a preliminary Directorate of Criminal Investigations probe into suspected irregular transactions at the Ministry of Health, the police service and the prisons service. A forensic audit identified suspected irregularities worth Ksh6.2 billion in 12 of 53 state departments, including unauthorised payroll changes and irregular payments. New officers will take over payroll management while investigations continue, with action promised against anyone found culpable.