- The committee was in Kisii to check on staff problems with major interest in probing the presence of foreign workers at the devolved unit.
- The Senate Committee would be going around to other counties to do similar engagements
Image: Benson Nyagesiba
The Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare says it is yet to receive any report on ghost workers from the Kisii county government.
The same is yet to be availed to the county assembly Labour Committee, complicating a search for truth about the said staff.
County assembly Labour chair Naftal Onkoba stunned the committee with the revelation that they are yet to get a copy of the report on ghost workers, a month since it was released.
"We are anticipating another meeting like this with you when the report is in our hands," he told the Senate committee.
He said they were only hearing rumours about ghost staff.
"Like most people, we are green, it would be only prudent that we get it, preview it before talking about it here ," the Nyacheki ward rep said.
The Senate Labour Committee vice chair Senator Gideon Mbugua said they would want to see the report before they make informed comments on it.
"All we have heard is that it's not complete," Mbugua said during the committee visit to Kisii, Wednesday.
"For now we are yet to get confirmation on the presence of those ghost workers."
The committee was in Kisii to check on staff problems with major interest in probing the presence of foreign workers at the devolved unit.
Kisii is said to be currently grappling with 1,300 ghost staff according to county boss Simba Arati.
The Senate Committee would be going around to other counties to do similar engagements with view to understanding labour problems facing the devolved units.
They have since toured Nyamira and would be in Kisumu on Thursday
“Here we have had fruitful engagement with the governor, county assembly members, speaker and the county public service board,” Mr Mbugua said.
“With the information, we had been receiving we felt it was necessary for us to come and meet with the governor and the committee of labour of the county assembly."
The Senate Committee is also following up on salary delays across several counties where staff have not received their pay for months.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka who is a member of the Committee warned counties to brace for hard times ahead if the slow pace at which Treasury is allocating cash to devolved units is anything to go by.
"Unless the government is going to be engaging to make sure it fixes the debts our country is in currently, make sure revenue collected and disbursement is done well, we are going to have county governments receiving salaries," he said.
He spoke of what he described as a financial boil at the national Treasury that is causing the allocation delays
"Yes there is a problem... I want to believe the issue of salaries would be solved in one or two months, "Onyonka said.
"The pain is the same everywhere, we are only hoping it will be sorted out soon to end this suffering."
Senators Mbugua and Onyonka were accompanied by nominated senator Crystal Kagehi Asige.