Scandal looms in Parliament over payment of millions to ghost workers

Security is the most visible feature of Parliament buildings. This is one of the most secured government installations in the country. Gaining entry into the current complex requires one to go through many layers of security checks.

For its manned security checkpoints, parliament relies on layers of security personnel drawn from different security formations…the most visible are the officers from the sergeant at arms office…they take care of both the physical and ceremonial security protocols around the speaker, members, the clerk and other staff of the National Assembly.

According to insiders, the security layering brings on board the regular police in uniform and plain clothes, with retinues of personal bodyguards and even informal security aides completing the crowded security set-up.

Our sources will go by fictitious code names Charlie Bravo I and Charlie Bravo II.

“The current setup in security the nature of the multi-agency teams, we have firstly the sergeant at arms in both houses, National Assembly and senate all they do is security work, in addition, we have in-house parliament security and safety team,” says Charlie Bravo I.

“Parliament has gone ahead and hired national police as a third party as service providers, it compounds the confusion, it was not informed by any scientific research we have the Kenya police station, we have the GSU, a platoon, the RDU, the administration police unit, we have the Ap and the bodyguards.”

According to the insiders, these different security outfits at Parliament have been operating in an uncoordinated manner, with no central command.   

“Hakuna command in leadership, kumaanisha kitU ikitokea God forbid hakutakuwa na mtu wa kutoa leadership kwanza sababu kila Mtu anaangalia watu wake, GSU anaangalia watu wake, polisi wa station anaangalia watu wake kivwake, AP wako kivyao, na sisi pia tuko kivyetu,” Charlie Bravo II says.

The situation is further compounded by what the two say is the lack of a proper hierarchy and schemes of service for the officers serving especially under the parliamentary joint services unit, there is also the challenge of what they say is a top-heavy deployment even for duties that are essentially meant for the lower levels of security officers.

Our sources say this and what they term as a bloated security force means that nearly half the number of officers on the roll either do very little of what they are meant to do or are simply ghost workers.

“As security, we are trained to be lean effective teams, so the opposite is an ineffective team where half of the team does not work completely they believe the other half will do it, the bystander attitude …the other half is doing it becomes discouraged…there is not motivation,” says the first whistleblower.

Our sources admit, that they fall under the ghost workers category often they do not show up for duty, and no one notices their absence, but they still get paid.

The presence of deceased officers, those who have been transferred out but are still on the payroll also raised questions on the sanctity of the security payroll in parliament.

Indeed, one such incident is evidenced by communication from the DCI instructing the chief security and safety officer of the PSC to remove a deceased corporal who had been seconded to the PSC from their records.

The letter to this effect was sent in September 2022, the officer had been deceased in 2022, meaning for two years, allowances were paid out to the deceased corporal’s name, this isn’t the only irregularity in the payroll for allowances paid out to security for parliament.

”Any list of security teams irrespective it must be broken down into pf numbers, rank and name the payroll in parliament does not have rank, which is a direct breach secondly the pf number is cluttered in the sense that some beneficiaries have service numbers, other IFMIS numbers, you can’t rule out ghost workers,” says Charlie Bravo I.

The second whistleblower adds; “Tuko na wale maofisa ambao  bunge inalipa, wale 1400 police officers na ukiangali saa his na kazi iliyoko, wale wako kazini hawawezi pita hata mia nne.”

“This armed element national police is over bloated, and in addition to that there are ghost workers on the roll, we have members of the force that are dead, that are posted out and are still on the roll…this is not disputed,” Charlie Bravo I further states.

This payroll costs the taxpayer Ksh.30.7 million per month in allowances paid for amongst other things, administration police, top-up allowances, overtime, rapid deployment, speakers security, CID GSU allowance and dog section allowances…and even in this canine unit, the whistleblowers allege irregularities exist.

“Dog section has a contingent of dogs and handlers, on the payroll we have a list of 15 and yet on the daily we have no more than five dogs…where are the other numbers deployed…from the causal eye, the rest of the dogs and handlers are ghosts, they never report,” the first whistleblower says.

The whistleblowers contend that unless these issues are resolved, even as parliamentarians seek to move to their new offices, the challenge of security will still persist.

We reached out to the Speaker of the National Assembly, the clerk of the National Assembly and the Director of the Parliamentary Joint Services for comment on this issue. Our efforts were not successful.