Government begins headcount of all civil servants amid Ksh6.2 billion payroll fraud

The government has launched a physical verification exercise for all civil servants as investigations into the Ksh6.2 billion payroll fraud intensify.

The Ministry of Education is among the first ministries to order a headcount of all public servants to determine and verify those working within the Ministry.

In an internal memo dated Friday, October 16, the Ministry directed Heads of Directorates to ensure every employee under their supervision is physically accounted for throughout the week beginning Monday, October 19.

The memo further directs all employees in the Ministry to present themselves at the Ministry’s offices at Jogoo House for the mandatory headcount.

“Following recent payroll Audit conducted in various State Departments and Counties by the State Department for Public Service and Human Capital, it has become necessary that a physical Headcount of all employees on the payroll be conducted in all State Departments,” the memo read in part.

“In this regard, this is to inform you that the staff physical headcount will be conducted at Jogoo House ground floor on 19ᵗʰ, 21ˢᵗ and 22ⁿᵈ October, 2026,” it added.

According to the memo, all employees are required to present themselves for the exercise, including those on leave and those in hospitals, with those failing to undergo the process risking their salaries being stopped.

Staff are required to present themselves with the necessary documents, including KRA PINs, original ID cards, and first and current appointment letters.

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The move followed a comprehensive payroll audit that revealed that, out of the 53 state departments, 12 of them had suspected payroll irregularities amounting to Ksh6.2 billion, raising concerns over the integrity of public payroll management systems.

The Cabinet, during its meeting on June 30, 2026, directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to immediately launch investigations into suspected payroll fraud across Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and State Corporations, amid allegations of widespread irregularities in the public wage bill. 

The directive also required the DCI to verify personal numbers used in payroll processing, dismantle suspected criminal networks involved in payroll manipulation, and ensure the recovery of public funds lost through fraudulent activities.

Following the orders, the DCI announced in July the commencement of investigations in collaboration with the Public Service Ministry. 

Preliminary investigations revealed cases of unborn children, minors and ghost workers allegedly receiving millions in salaries from the public payroll.

So far, three government agencies, including the Ministry of Health, Kenya Prisons Service and the Kenya Police Service (KPS),  have been implicated in the suspected fraud, with 84 human resource managers linked to the agencies asked to step aside for 30 working days as investigations continue.

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