Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang has revealed an unusual incident that emerged during an audit review of county staff records, where Governor Gladys Wanga’s name appeared among employees flagged for documentation irregularities — a moment he says highlights deeper weaknesses in county payroll systems.
Speaking during a radio interview, Kajwang discussed the growing wage bill pressure facing devolved units and used the episode to illustrate how flawed records and data handling can distort audit findings and payroll assessments.
According to the senator, the issue arose after an audit conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) examined Homa Bay County’s human resource records. The review focused on verifying employee details, compliance documents, and payroll entries. Auditors reportedly flagged several staff members whose files were incomplete or missing key documentation required under public service employment standards.
Kajwang said the review took an unexpected turn when Governor Wanga discovered that her own name appeared on the list of flagged entries. He noted that she had initially supported the audit’s push for accountability and cleanup of payroll records, but questioned the report after seeing her inclusion.
He clarified that the governor was not categorized as a ghost worker. Instead, her entry fell under a separate classification of employees whose documentation records were incomplete within the system. That distinction, he emphasized, is critical because ghost worker listings imply non-existent staff drawing salaries, while incomplete documentation points to administrative or records management gaps.
The incident triggered concern about how audit data was compiled, interpreted, and presented. Following the discovery, the report was reportedly returned for further review and correction to address classification and documentation errors. Kajwang said such mistakes can undermine otherwise important accountability processes if not carefully verified before publication.
Using the case as a broader warning, the senator pointed to structural payroll and HR management weaknesses across counties. He argued that outdated systems, poor record-keeping practices, and inconsistent data verification continue to inflate perceived staffing levels and distort wage bill ratios.
Kajwang stressed that Homa Bay County’s wage bill has reached about 55 percent of its total revenue — well above the recommended ceiling of 35 percent set under public finance guidelines. A wage bill at that level, he warned, severely limits funds available for development projects, infrastructure, and essential public services.
He added that when personnel costs consume more than half of available revenue, counties are forced to either delay projects, accumulate pending bills, or cut back on service delivery. That creates a cycle of financial strain that becomes harder to reverse over time.
His remarks come as the Senate Public Accounts Committee continues tighter scrutiny of county financial operations, with a focus on payroll integrity, ghost workers, procurement compliance, and expenditure controls. Lawmakers are pushing counties to strengthen internal audit systems and modernize staff record management to reduce errors and prevent abuse.
