Kang’ata: Dozens of ghost workers received salaries in Murang’a
By Cynthia Lodite, September 1, 2025Murang’a County Governor Irungu Kang’ata has revealed that the county government had at least 50 ghost workers in a recent audit by the county government.
According to the Muranga County boss, following the recent uncovering of at least 50 ghost workers, he has revealed how the individuals used to receive salaries despite being untraceable during physical verification exercises.
The governor uncovered the ghost worker issues on Monday, September 1, 2025, during an interview with a local radio station.
“Yes, we did an audit that disclosed about 50 employees could not be physically accounted for,” Governor Kang’ata confirmed.
Likewise, while addressing how such discrepancies found their way into the payroll system, Kang’ata also noted that various factors could contribute to the discrepancies.
“Let’s talk about the 50 that I found in Murang’a County… These could be people who had died, but as of the time data was collected, no one had reported their deaths,” he said.
In addition, he also cited other possibilities: “There are people who may have been sick at the time of the audit, and some may have resigned without formal communication.”
The governor emphasized that Murang’a County has largely digitized its payroll systems to enhance accountability and reduce such irregularities.
According to Irungu, Muranga County is currently using at least a 95% digital payroll system with at least 3% on manual, which he noted exists mainly because onboarding a newly employed person may take about 3–4 months.
“Murang’a County uses a 95% digital payroll system, and only 2–3% is manual. The manual component exists mainly because onboarding a newly employed person may take about 3–4 months,” Kang’ata explained.
Mbadi call to Counties
Kang’ata remarks follow the Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi recent ultimatum to County governments on intergrating digital payroll system
According to the Treasury CS, all counties have a 30-day deadline to integrate their payrolls into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database (IPPD), emphasising that compliance is non-negotiable.
The move is aimed at eliminating ghost workers and bringing sanity to county wage bills, which have been consuming unsustainable portions of revenues.
Speaking at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) during the launch of the 2026/27 financial year and Medium-Term Budget preparations, Mbadi warned counties against delaying the adoption of the digital payroll system.