The Kenya Forum has reported on this subject before but now we can reveal that there are reports of sightings of ghosts from Mombasa to Nairobi. These ghosts don’t just go bump in the night they turn up for work the next day, or at least they draw their pay every month.

THE GHOST WORKERS AT NAIROBI CITY COUNCIL

Way back in November 2010 the Kenya Forum reported that a study by the management consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers had found that some 4,000 of the City Council of Nairobi’s ‘workers’ could in fact be ‘ghosts’, nonexistent workers who still drew a salary.

INCOMPETENT GHOSTS

In April 2012 we reported on yet another PricewaterhouseCoopers report that found that over 90 per cent of the CCN’s staff were ‘incompetent’ and that the council was massively overstaffed. (It’s bad enough employing fake workers at taxpayers’ expense but incompetent fake workers?!)

To now bring Kenya Forum readers up to date, the Human Resources Department at Nairobi City Hall has called on all county government employees to show up for work at different points with their original letter of appointment in hand. The County Union branch representing the ‘workers’ has refused to comply.

UNIONISED GHOSTS

Interim county secretary at City hall, Lillian Ndegwa, accused the union of being behind the bloated workforce (or non-workforce depending how you look at it).

“With more ghost workers, the union has more members who make contributions monthly, so they reject attempts for reforms”, she said.

“For long are we going to be counted every month?” was the comment reportedly made by union branch secretary Festus Ngare. “We need an end to this circus”, he continued. Quite right Mr Ngare, says the Kenya Forum… we do need an end to this circus.

GHOSTS ON THE COAST

Yet now more reports of ghost workers in Mombasa.

Mombasa County Council is to make public the names of ghost workers on its payroll in two weeks time, reports The Star.

This time it was consultancy firm Ernst and Young (sponsored by Muslims for Human Rights) who reported that approximately 1,000 of the council’s workforce do not actually exist but still draw salaries of Sh161 million every month.

WHERE WILL IT ALL END?

The Kenya Forum welcomes the thorough audit and removal of all ‘ghost’ workers currently on the council payrolls (and taxpayers’ bill) in Nairobi and Mombasa but we can’t help thinking that the problem of state employed ghost workers is prevalent throughout Kenya.

EXORCISM

When there’s not enough money to mend the country’s roads, or to pay for laptops in schools, it’s high time says the Kenya Forum, for an audit and clear-out of all nonexistent workers in all councils and government departments. The waste of money on their salaries could be saved, or put to much better use.