CS Ruku Revokes Payroll Access for 84 HR Officers, Orders 30-Day Leave

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 16 – Public Service Cabinet Secretary Ruku GK has revoked payroll system access for 84 human resources officers and ordered them to proceed on mandatory 30-day leave following preliminary investigations into suspected irregularities in the public service payroll.

The directive follows investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which have reportedly uncovered suspicious transactions in the payroll systems of the Ministry of Health, Kenya Police Service and Kenya Prisons Service.

Ruku said the administrative measures would allow further forensic investigations into the flagged transactions, which may have resulted in the loss of public funds.

The Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes will immediately deploy new human resources officers to take over payroll management in the affected institutions.

The changes are intended to facilitate investigations while ensuring continuity in payroll operations.

Ruku emphasised that public officers have a constitutional obligation to manage public resources prudently and must be held accountable for actions or omissions that lead to the loss of public money.

The government said further action would be taken against officers found culpable after the investigations are concluded.

The affected officers’ removal from payroll system duties and mandatory leave are administrative measures and do not, in themselves, establish criminal liability.

The investigations are expected to establish the nature and extent of the suspected irregularities and determine individual responsibility.