Kang’ata Exposes 50 Ghost Workers in Murang’a Payroll
The issue does not only crop up in Murang’a, Kang’ata said. Ghost workers still remain an issue in other counties of Kenya,
The governor further stated that Murang'a County is operating a virtually computerized payroll system. He explained that 95 percent are online while manually only 2 to 3 percent are processed. PHOTO/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100053068303802
By Juliet Jerotich
Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata has validated that his county had ghost workers in its payroll. Speaking in an appearance on Monday, September 1, 2025, in a radio program, the governor said that at least 50 workers were being remunerated but could not be located physically.
“Yes, we conducted an audit that showed around 50 workers couldn’t be found physically,” Kang’ata affirmed.
He explained that there were certain explanations which might have resulted in payroll discrepancies. Some of the workers could have died, but the county was never informed. Some of the other workers could have been sick during the audit, and some of the others could have left without reporting to the administration.
The issue does not only crop up in Murang’a, Kang’ata said. Ghost workers still remain an issue in other counties of Kenya, he added. He nevertheless reassured the residents that his government has already stepped in to improve payroll responsibility.
The governor further stated that Murang’a County is operating a virtually computerized payroll system. He explained that 95 percent are online while manually only 2 to 3 percent are processed. The very tiny manual portion, he continued, is due to on-boarding new employees which is three to four months prior to the time they are completely loaded on the electronic system.
“Murang’a County is 95 percent computerized when it comes to payroll, with 2–3 percent being manual. The manual part is because the time it takes to input new employees into the system is too long,” Kang’ata explained.
His statement comes just after Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi ordered all counties. Mbadi has ordered governors to transition fully to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database (IPPD) within 30 days. He was clear that it is not an option.
The Treasury Cabinet Secretary said the move is needed in order to eliminate ghost workers and cap bloated pay bills. He said the counties are still spending unaffordable amounts of their revenues on salaries due to phantom records.
At Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) while opening the 2026/27 budget process, Mbadi was insistent that counties must act fast. Mbadi was insistent that computerized payrolls are the only way to bring sanity and accountability in managing county wages.
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