Legal scholar and political analyst Prof Makau Mutua has urged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to establish a public whistleblowing portal that enables Kenyans to anonymously report ghost workers within both county and national governments.
In a statement posted on his official X account on Sunday, October 12, Mutua said such a portal would empower citizens of goodwill to expose corruption and incompetence among government officials.
“The EACC Kenya should open a public portal for whistleblowers and Kenyans of goodwill to anonymously report fake or ghost workers at the county and national governments. The culprits are known relatives and cronies of MPs and senior officials,” Mutua stated.
Mutua further suggested that Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku should collaborate with key security agencies such as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to eliminate ghost workers and hold complicit officials accountable.
His remarks come amid a renewed government crackdown on ghost workers, a persistent issue that has cost taxpayers billions of shillings in lost funds.
Last month, CS Ruku revealed that his ministry had completed a comprehensive audit of payrolls across both county and national government offices. Preliminary findings uncovered severe irregularities, including cases of individuals receiving multiple salaries.
During an interview on September 17, Ruku confirmed that the government plans to publish the names of ghost workers and take legal action against those who fail to perform their duties.
“There are issues, and I want to tell you that there are people who will suffer,” Ruku warned. “Tomorrow we will know them because you cannot be given an opportunity by the government and fail to serve Kenyans.”
Mutua’s proposal underscores growing public demand for transparency and accountability in the public sector, as Kenya continues its push to eliminate corruption and improve service delivery.
