Register now or you will be fired, Anne Waiguru warns

More than 16,000 civil servants who have not been listed in the on-going registration have one week to do so or be struck off the payroll.

Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru on Friday sent the final call for the workers to register by October 31.

She said about 90 per cent had registered as required.

“Those who will fail to present themselves during this extended registration period will be deemed as ghost workers and their names will be expunged from the November payroll,” she said.

The CS added that they are targeting to register about 175,000 public servants.

The government has so far captured data of more than 150,000, with a comprehensive report of the process expected to be made available two weeks after the end of the exercise.

She said: “I have directed the Inter-Agency Technical Committee of the Capacity Assessment and Rationalisation of the Public Service to accord those public servants who have not undertaken the Biometric Data Capture, for one reason or another, an opportunity to do so.”

In the extended registration, she said, the employees must present a letter from their head of human resources department confirming they are bona fide public servants in their respective ministry or department or county.

COPY OF THE LETTER

They will also be expected to give reasons why they were not registered in time.

“We know of some who complained that they do not have their letters of first appointment. Please ensure you report to your Human Resource about this as they will have a copy of the letter. Each civil servant has a file with their ministry or county.”

The additional time will be in the following locations: Nairobi at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre; the county headquarters of Bomet, Kisii, Makueni, Murang’a, Homa Bay, Trans Nzioa, West Pokot, Vihiga, Bungoma, Siaya, Kilifi, Nandi and Baringo.

She said those who would register from Monday would not be victimised. She clarified that records of those on study or sick leave would be forwarded by their respective supervisors.

President Kenyatta launched the drive on September 1, when the government officials were required to present themselves with their original identity cards, letters of first appointment to the service, letters of appointment to the current grade, original academic and professional certificates, duly completed biometric data forms, current pay slips, and a birth certificates.

In addition to the documents, the registration will capture a public servant’s signature, fingerprint and photograph. These measures, Ms Waiguru said, would weed out any ghost workers in the various government agencies.

ENTRENCH EFFICIENCY

The aim of the registration is to entrench efficiency and effectiveness in the Public Service where the government will establish whether staff records in its system match those who would present themselves physically.

The government disclosed in January that taxpayers lose an estimated Sh1.8 billion every year in salary payments to non-existent workers in the Civil Service.

Ms Waiguru said Narok County has been losing Sh300 million annually in salaries paid to ghost workers.

The overall objective of the registration is to align government structures, processes and programmes to the mandates and functions of national and county governments to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in Public Service delivery in line with the Constitution.

The exercise, however, was dogged by a myriad of challenges such as opposition from Cotu, which said the process would end in the sacking of employees through the back-door particularly in the counties.

Registration in six counties was also halted due to an Industrial Court order in Kisumu. Lady Justice Hellen Wasilwa’s ruling affected Kakamega, Trans Nzoia, Kisumu, Migori, Bungoma and Busia following a case filed by Kenya County Government Workers Union.

On Friday, Ms Waiguru said the matter was pending in court and the outcome would determine the way forward.