An audit conducted in Busia has exposed 116 ghost workers in the devolved unit.
The findings are contained in a report by a task force that audited financial operations and human resource management in the county that is led by Governor Paul Otuoma.
The governor commissioned the audit last year as he sought to streamline operations and improve service delivery. He appointed a reforms task force on September 9, 2022.
The report that has already been handed over to the governor found massive inconsistencies in the human resource system as well as huge revenue leakages.
The team had been tasked to review the approved budget for Financial Year 2022-2023 and give recommendations to inform the preparation of revised budget, advice on development of County Sectoral Plans and County Integrated Development Plan. It was also tasked to assess the current status, review and recommend measures to restructure departmental administrative processes for the Department of Finance and Economic Planning.
The task force led by Deputy Governor Arthur Odera also had the mandate to assess the current status, review and recommend measures to restructure the revenue collection framework. It also had to assess the existing financial and other internal control systems processes, including retention accounts, expenditures, pending bills and IFMIS operations.
The 116 ghost workers were unearthed after the task force conducted a head count of staff.
“At least 116 officers did not turn up for the headcount exercise. In their absence and reasons thereof, they might be classified as ghost workers. Further to the above, there is no documented approved staff establishment for the County government of Busia,” the report reads in part.
The 160-page report titled ‘Task Force Report on Governance and System Reforms November 2022’ furthermore revealed that after the head count on 4,082 county staff, 3,812 were on permanent and pensionable terms, 117 on contract and 172 were working under Universal Health Care.
Besides, the report pointed out that there exists inconsistencies on the number of officers paid by voucher in the payroll while the 751 casuals employed by the county government have different pay structures.
The task force recommended that all staff classified as ghost workers who never attended the headcount be promptly removed from the payroll and a forensic audit of the payroll be conducted to ascertain the number of staff. Also establish their academic qualifications and prioritise recruitment of critical health workers.
In its findings, the Finance, ICT and Economic Planning sub-committee of the task force under the leadership of Odera, poked holes on the revenue budget for Financial Year 2021/2022 and Financial Year 2022/2023. It said the equitable share, own source revenue and conditional grants from National government were not well budgeted for.
Chrispinus Ibalai, a member of the committee, recommended for proper budgeting to curb accruing pending bills, low absorption and stalled projects.
“What we noted is an unrealistic budget. For instance, in the last Financial Year, own source revenue had been over budgeted and the county government could raise what it had projected where it failed to meet the Sh1.2 billion target just collecting a meagre Sh293 million,” he said.
The team further found out that the county has 69 revenue streams, but 20 of those were dormant.
In order to have an in-depth understanding of challenges bedevilling revenue collection as well as institute measures aimed at enhancing revenue collection, the task force undertook a revenue collection exercise targeting bus park fees and collected Sh427,950 against the previous collection of Sh378,120 translating to an increase of Sh49,830.
The team concluded that the deviation in collections, especially in Bumala Bus Park, signals to possibilities of revenue leakages and recommended that casual workers should not be involved in revenue collection. Permanently employed revenue officers, the team said should thus be mandated to collect revenue.
Other areas the team reviewed included the existing financial and other internal control systems, IFMIS operations, audit, supply chain management, pending bills and payroll.
The task force was also mandated to assess and recommend sector growth reforms on governance structures and systems for purposes of enhancing efficient and accountable service delivery.
While receiving the document that will now be forwarded to the County Assembly for more interrogation, Otuoma committed to implement findings of the report to the letter.
Members of the task force included Odera who besides chairing the task force also headed the Finance, ICT and Economic Planning and former Butula MP Michael Onyura who chaired the Human Resources, Public Service Management and Administration, and Legal Affairs.
Others were Patrick Sanya Odamme, who was the chairperson, Agriculture, Water, Trade, Lands and Municipality sub-committee and Charles Onudi Olango who chaired the sub-committee on Health & Sanitation, Education, Infrastructure & Roads, Culture, Youth Sports and Social Services.
Members included Andrew Nakitare, Peter Odima, Josiah Wanyama, Chrispinus Ibalai, Maureen Onyango, Bernadette Muyomi, John Meso Abungu Mbogo Melisa Namang’are, Peter Itapara and David Sibeyo.
-Edited by SKanyara
