Siaya: Over 500 Siaya county government workers have been left without salaries for the last two months due to the absence of personal file numbers. This situation includes the chairman of the County Public Service Board. The County Assembly of Siaya has attributed this issue to the gross inefficiency of the county executive’s human resource department, which has resulted in more than 500 permanent staff and casual workers being omitted from the payroll.
According to Kenya News Agency, during an Assembly session chaired by speaker George Okode, members expressed concerns over the plight of workers such as market sweepers and hospital cleaners who have been unpaid after the controller of budget halted manual salary payments outside the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database (IPPD). Workers have been reportedly shuffled among offices by those responsible for generating personnel file numbers, allegedly as part of a scheme to extort bribes.
Speaker Okode criticized the inefficiency within the Human Resource Department, highlighting the suffering experienced by county government workers, while accusing county leaders of neglecting their responsibilities. He emphasized the urgent need for action, as workers are facing hardships like eviction due to unpaid rent, school fees, and bills.
Fredrick Omoro, the East Ugenya member of the County Assembly, condemned the senior officers responsible for ensuring staff payments, accusing them of neglect. His North Sakwa counterpart, Oliver Arika, stated that the delay in generating personal file numbers was an internal issue and required immediate rectification.
Charles Gordon Juma, chairman of the Siaya County Public Service Board, revealed that he too was a victim, lacking a personal file number for nearly two years. He mentioned that the board identified three officers suspected to be responsible for the problem.
Walter Okello, the chief officer for Governance and Administration, disclosed that the affected staff are owed over 48 million shillings for salaries in March and April 2026. He assured that efforts were underway to resolve the issue, with a plan to expedite the issuance of personal file numbers by June 10, 2026.
The Assembly resolved that the issue must be resolved by the end of the current financial year, ensuring that the workers receive their due salaries by June 30, 2026.
