A report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has raised concerns over ethnic staffing disparities, salary deductions, and pending bills in the Office of the Deputy President during Rigathi Gachagua’s tenure.
The audit for the 2023/24 financial year, ending in June, revealed that out of the 542 employees in the DP’s office, 249—about 46 percent—were from a single ethnic group.
“This was contrary to Section 7(1) and 7(2) of the National Cohesion and Integration Act of 2008, which provides that all public installations shall seek to represent the diversity of the people of Kenya in the employment of staff, and no public establishment shall have more than one-third of its staff from the same community,” read the report in part.
The Auditor General also found that forty-two employees received a net salary that fell below one-third of their basic pay in different months, which contravened provisions of the Employment Act, 2007.
Gathungu noted that this was a violation of Section 19(3), which stipulates that all deductions from an employee’s wage should not exceed two-thirds of their total pay.
The report further flagged pending bills amounting to Ksh.4.8 million as of June 30, 2024.
“Failure to settle the bills adversely distorted budgetary provisions for the subsequent year,” the audit stated, adding that such financial mismanagement required immediate corrective measures.
The Auditor General stressed the need for “accountability and confidentiality in expenditures” while recommending a review of financial regulations governing security-related spending. She also called for “internal oversight mechanisms to ensure there is responsible use of allocated funds.”
Following Gachagua’s impeachment in October, one hundred and eight staff members from his office were sent on compulsory leave starting October 18. In a letter signed by Principal Administrative Secretary Patrick Mwangi, all heads of departments were directed to “designate a responsible officer to take over operations forthwith.”
The list of affected employees has sparked mixed reactions, with critics questioning the duplication of roles in the DP’s office. For instance, the presence of ten Deputy Directors of Communications and four Assistant Directors of Communications has raised eyebrows, especially at a time when the government has been pushing for austerity measures.
