Government to use biometric registration to eliminate ghost workers

The government will begin biometric registration of public servants in September to get rid of ghost workers, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru has said.

Ms Waigiuru said the exercise will begin in Nairobi and will be completed by October this year.

She said all public servants will be required to register at Huduma Centres.

She made the remarks during an interview with Nation FM Tuesday morning.

Ms Waiguru said the government started an initial audit process to establish that ghost workers actually existed.

She said some counties were losing millions of shillings paid to non-existent workers.

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

The Devolution CS at the same time said the government was keen on reducing the wage bill.

“We are heading in a direction that we shouldn't. Our wage bill is not sustainable. This trend shouldn't continue,” she said.

Ms Waiguru said Kenya’s current wage bill stands at 53 per cent of the national budget.