By Team
What could be the real trouble with the Homa Bay County Government on employment?
Could there be a ring of cartels in the County Government who issue appointment letters and UPN numbers to unsuspecting victims and have a blessing from a senior government official?
Welcome to Homa Bay County, the land of endless potential where 101 individuals have been integrated into the new HRS system but are not in the manual payroll.
Where 107 individuals have UPN numbers but are not earning salaries while 64 officers are working but lack UPN numbers.
Similarly, where allegations of irregular appointments without competitive recruitment, nepotism and favouritism thrive.
In a letter dated 13th March 2025 to the County Secretary by the County Public Service Board captioned: “Re- Disengagement of individuals from county public service,”
It reads, “Following your letter dated 19th February 2025, REF: HB/CTY/CS/CPSB/VOLX(69) that required the Board to verify the employment status of 107 officers who have UPN numbers but do not earn salary and 64 officers working but lack UPN numbers, the Board conducted the verification as per the request.
From the verification exercise, the Board established that 100 individuals who have UPN numbers but are not earning salaries and 61 individuals working but lack UPN numbers are not employees.
Therefore, the Board in its meeting held on 11th March 2025 resolved to disengage them from the County Public Service.
The sole purpose of this letter is to request you to implement the Board’s decision on the matter,” Ruth Aloo, Acting Chief Executive Officer wrote.
Yesterday, we revealed how 101 individuals found themselves as employees of Homa Bay County Government while they were not recruited by the County Public Service Board.
Subsequently, the Board wrote to the County Secretary to stop salaries of 101 employees who were irregularly recruited.
The Board’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ruth Aloo in her letter to the County Secretary dated 25th March 2025, captioned “Re: Stoppage of salaries” was in response to earlier communication that wanted the Board to verify employment status of 158 employees at the County.
She wrote, “The above subject matter refers. Following your letter dated 12th March 2025, REF: HB./CTY/CS/CPSB/VOL.X (130) that required the Board to verify the employment status of one hundred and fifty-eight officers who were not in manual payroll but were integrated into the HRIS in the months of March, May, June and July 2024, the Board conducted verification per the request.
From the scrutiny and verification conducted, the Board established that one hundred and one individuals who were integrated into the new HRIS in the said months of 2024 are not its bona fide employees since they were not recruited by the Board.
Therefore, in its meeting held on 24th March 2025 under MIN5/PSB/24TH MARCH/2025, the Board resolved to stop their salaries. Details of the 101 individuals are captured below in appendix 1.
On the same note, three individuals listed in appendix 2 are to appear before the Board on 3rd April 2025 for further verification.
The sole purpose of this letter is to direct you to implement the Board’s decision and stop the salaries of 101 officers and initiate disciplinary process against officers who facilitated their irregular engagement with the County Government.”
Mr Evance Otieno Gor, the Chairperson, Interface Community Help Desk Organisation wants the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the emerging employment scandals at the County.
“It is time the County Assembly and government investigating agencies moved in to investigate the employment scandals at the County. Innocent people could be suffering and losing hundreds of thousands of shillings in fraudulently acquired employment opportunities at the County,” he said.
Gor also claimed some vacant positions have been filled without competitive recruitment which is against the law.
But the County Secretary Prof Benard Muok said the government had embarked on internal mechanisms to weed out corruption.
“We initiated the verifications to clean up the payroll and ensure we don’t have individuals not employed by us masquerading as our employees,” he said in a text response.
Last year, we exclusively exposed how a Homa Bay man allegedly lost Sh240,000 in a fake employment racket at the County.
The victim wrote to Governor Gladys Wanga over his ordeal and possible intervention.
In his letter he claimed, he lost the money to individuals working closely with the County Public Service Board members.
In a letter dated 26th September 2024, one Jactone Oduor claimed that a person (name withheld for legal reasons) conned him of the said amount in exchange for a letter of appointment for Evance Henry Opiyo, who was recruited as a Revenue Clerk (I) position on 12th June 2023.
He said, despite his son receiving an appointment letter on 1st May 2023, he was yet to be absorbed.
“The above named is my son and I am writing this complaint letter on his behalf, as one who was swindled by fraudsters.
He (Evance) was given an appointment letter for the above post which has not materialised to date.
First, I sent an M-Pesa payment of Sh80,000 on demand by the suspect on the pretence that the available position was for Revenue Clerk (III).
Then he demanded another Sh60,000, claiming that the boy was overqualified for the above post, being that he was a graduate with Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and a CPA (IV), hence he needed my son to be recruited as Revenue Clerk (I).
For the record, the accomplice received the Sh100,000 in cash, in the presence of my son and then he handed over the appointment letter to us.
We gave a total of Sh240,000 to the suspects.
Hon Governor, I am still stranded with my son at home and I humbly request for your intervention so that my son Evance can secure employment,” he wrote.
According to the appointment letter issued and signed by Homa Bay County Secretary and Head of Public Service Prof Benard Muok, reference number HB/PSB/APP2023/VOL1/10, Evance was appointed as Revenue Clerk One position and was to earn Sh31,270 per month with house allowance of Sh5,800, commuter allowance of Sh4,000 and another leave allowance of Sh4,000 per annum.
The letter was also signed by Evance upon receipt and read:
“I am pleased to inform you that following the successful interview held for the above position, the Public Service Board has approved your appointment to the position of Revenue Clerk One.
This appointment takes effect from 1st May 2023.”
But Muok denied signing the letter, saying the signature was fake.
“This is not my signature. It is a fake one. The best would be to report to the police,” he said.
