Senate team tells governors to retrench some of their staff and divert the salaries to development projects in counties.
He lamented that counties have become payroll offices.
He cited his county, which he said was an amalgamation of several local authorities, adding that redundancy is almost seven times.
The Senate Committee on County Public Accounts and Investment has asked governors to cut their bloated workforce to reduce the huge wage bill.
The committee chairman, Moses Kajwang, on Thursday told governors to retrench some of their staff and divert the salaries to development projects in counties.
Mr Kajwang, who is the senator for Homa Bay, said the plunder in counties has created questionable millionaires out of devolution and urged the governors to investigate their staff.
“There are individuals working in counties who have become millionaires. I don’t want to be envious of people who have made it but sometimes when you look at people’s backgrounds and lifestyles, you can clearly see they are taking advantage of loopholes in governments to enrich themselves,” Mr Kajwang said.
Speaking during the ongoing 34th ICPAK annual seminar at Sarova Whitesands Hotel in Mombasa, the senator acknowledged that the senate committee has failed in its oversight role.
“The way we do oversight is wrong. We have been looking at the wrong measures. If you have been developing management system or decisions support systems you know for you make the right decision you must make the right questions. Senators have realised that and we have asked the Auditor-General to give us a different report,” he added.
He said counties have become payroll offices.
“We send money from Nairobi so that counties can pay salaries. That is unacceptable. That was not the ultimate role of devolution. Governors must be bold enough to retrench. Some counties cannot sustain the number of employees that they have,” he added.
Redundancy
He cited his county, which he said was an amalgamation of several local authorities, adding that redundancy is almost seven times.
“You will find seven drivers doing different jobs but now have to do one job, they are all being paid over the years their salaries have risen. Drivers are paid more than accountants who have just joined.
"Elections are over, governors should retrenching the staff. Don’t fear anything just let them go,” he said.
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