Government launches crackdown on rogue HR officers over payroll fraud, fake promotions and illegal tax exemptions

The Ministry of Public Service has launched a sweeping nationwide crackdown targeting rogue human resource officers implicated in payroll fraud, illegal promotions and tax evasion schemes.

The operation, announced on Monday by Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, follows a forensic audit that uncovered massive irregularities within the public service payroll system including altered birth dates, fake job promotions and illegal tax exemptions.

Ruku said the ministry is determined to weed out corrupt officers who have for years manipulated government systems for personal gain.

“We have identified disturbing trends where certain HR officials are helping individuals evade taxes and manipulate records to remain in service illegally. Those involved will face the full force of the law,” Ruku stated.

According to the audit, some HR officers altered civil servants’ birth dates to extend their tenure beyond the mandatory retirement age, while others illegally advanced employees to higher job groups without proper procedures actions that have bloated the public wage bill and eroded morale among deserving officers.

The CS said such schemes amount to abuse of office, warning that anyone found culpable will be dismissed and prosecuted immediately.

“These actions are not only illegal but a gross abuse of office that undermines fairness, transparency and meritocracy in the civil service,” Ruku noted.

The ministry has already enlisted the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and other investigative agencies to trace and prosecute all those involved, including county-level HR officers who may have been part of the fraudulent schemes.

Ruku emphasized that the clean-up aligns with President William Ruto’s anti-corruption agenda, which seeks to restore accountability and professionalism in public institutions.

“The President is passionate about fighting corruption. We will clean up the system and restore dignity to public service,” he said.

He also urged civil servants to uphold integrity and professionalism as enshrined in Articles 10 and 232 of the Constitution, stressing that public service must serve the people, not enrich a few.

“It is time for public servants to be part of the solution, not the problem. Let us restore credibility, trust and efficiency in our institutions,” Ruku added.

The ministry confirmed that investigations into payroll fraud, ghost workers, irregular allowances and manipulated service records are already underway, with more arrests and disciplinary actions expected in the coming weeks.