Report on varsity proposes tough measures to tame spending

A special audit team has advised Moi University to come up with a proper recruitment policy to seal loopholes.

It notes that new employees were being added to the payroll and exiting ones removed on a monthly basis at a high frequency.

For instance, in September last year, 62 employees were added onto the payroll.

The report recommends the suspension of recruitment of non-core personnel until a human resource policy that addresses frequent changes is implemented to avoid adding ghost workers in the payroll.

The officer in charge of human resources, says the report “should be instructed to explain where the employees without designations or departments had been deployed”. It also recommends a headcount.

Additionally, the report says, adequate controls should be introduced to ensure that access to data is restricted to authorised officers and that the payroll system has a trail to show the officers who access it and transactions they carry out.

The report calls for action against officers who were in charge of recruiting casual staff as they were responsible for regular fluctuation in wages.

Recruitment of casual employees should be limited to temporary vacancies to avoid retaining them in the payroll for long, contrary to labour laws.

“Casual employees with similar names and almost similar identity card numbers should be requested to hand in their original identification documents for verification to ensure they are not earning double wages,” the report recommends.

It also proposes outsourcing of security, cleaning and other non-core services to manage the wage bill.

The report calls for surcharging of officers who paid out Sh2.4 million to “casual workers” long after a constructions work at the School of Law had been stopped.

The university is also advised to review the need for 56 bank accounts.

The audit further recommends reconciliation of financial records of the university and Rivatex to iron out the discrepancies of the records and give an accurate position that can be relied on by the management in decision-making.

TOTAL OVERHAUL
For the last few years, Moi University has been riddled with controversy ranging from exit of top scholars due to alleged ethnic biases, financial mismanagement and non-remittance of statutory deductions.

Two deputy vice-chancellors and a chief finance officer are on suspension due to alleged financial misappropriation and are set to appear before the University Council for disciplinary action.

University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) Moi University chapter secretary Jack Abok told the Sunday Nation the institution needs a total overhaul.

“Academic staff are leaving as they are not motivated. Several officers are holding positions in acting capacities. Some are owed by the institution at individual level as much as Sh2 million,” Mr Abok said.

The union leaders, mid this year, raised concern over the unauthorised retention of pension dues since October 2015 and arrears of May 2014, amounting to Sh290 million.

He said some workers at the institution cannot access loans as they have been listed at credit reference bureaux for non-payment of their loans while those who fall sick cannot access better medication.

“Something must be done at this institution, else it will collapse,” said the secretary.

University council Chairman Jenesio Kinyamario said an inquiry into the allegations is ongoing.

Currently, there is a stand-off at the university where Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i is yet to pick from a list submitted to him by the council, prompting the appointment of Prof Laban Ayiro as acting VC last week.

In June, Prof Richard Mibey was sent on terminal leave pending retirement but made an about-turn and took back his position from Prof Fabian Esemai, who had been appointed in an acting capacity.