Kiraitu suspends senior county staff

Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi has suspended senior county employees to pave way for financial and human resource audit.

Those affected are the county secretary, County Executive Committee (CECs) members, chief officers as well as sub-county, ward and town administrators.

Mr Murungi said a financial audit will be conducted by the Auditor-General and those found culpable punished.

The chairman of the County public service Board Patrick Gichunge and a member Francis Kithure were also suspended pending investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

GHOST WORKERS

The governor said the human resource audit is meant to flush out ghost workers from the payroll.

“We know there are ghost workers in the county. The former regime has also been paying Sh15million to casual workers every month, which is questionable. There are 5,000 casual workers yet the county has enough staff,” Mr Murungi said.

However, the Governor clarified that the officers who pass the audit will be retained in his government.

“To enable us achieve an efficient, clean and effective civil service, we have decided to send them on indefinite leave with immediate effect to allow for the said financial and human resource audits to be carried out,” he said.

ABUSE OF OFFICE

He added “Our government has decided to carry the audit to establish the status of the county affairs and remove any rot in the system,”

The county boss, who was flanked by members of the clergy said the measures would ensure an effective and efficient public service.

“It is our intention to make Meru one of the best governed counties in Kenya. We shall do our best to deliver our promise to make Meru great. We want to ensure that Meru has a clean, efficient and effective civil service which will deliver on this promise,” said Mr Murungi.

The county boss said despite the two members of the County Public Service Board facing charges of abuse of office, former Governor Peter Munya had refused to suspend them.

“Our government will not tolerate this blatant impunity and disobedience of the law. I have therefore suspended him and the other member with immediate effect pending outcome of their court cases,” he said.