Moses Kajwang asks governors to cut staff over high wage bill

Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago (left) confers with Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang' and Mandera County Senator Mahmood Maalim during the Third Annual Legislative Summit in Mombasa on May 23, 2018. Senator Kajwang asked governors to retrench staff over bloated wage bill. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Committee wants staff retrenched and funds that would have paid their salaries diverted to development projects.

A Senate committee has urged governors to send home some of their staff as counties buckle under strain of a huge wage bill.

The County Public Accounts and Investment Committee chairman, Moses Kajwang, called on counties to cull staff and divert the funds that would have gone to salaries to development projects.

Speaking during the ongoing 34th Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya annual seminar at Sarova Whitesands Hotel in Mombasa, the Homa Bay senator claimed the senate has failed in its role to oversee counties.

Mr Kajwang said counties have become payroll offices.

“That is unacceptable, that was not the ultimate role of devolution. Governors must be bold enough to retrench. Some counties cannot sustain the number of employees that they have,” the senator said.

The senator also urged governors to probe county staff over graft.

“There are individuals working in counties who have become millionaires. I don’t want to be envious of people who have made it, but sometimes when you look at people’s backgrounds and lifestyles you can clearly see they are taking advantage of loopholes in governments to enrich themselves,” Mr Kajwang said.