By Team
Questions have emerged over how 101 individuals found themselves employed by the Homa Bay County Government despite not being recruited by the County Public Service Board.
Similarly, how and who was responsible for integrating these individuals into the county’s new Human Resource Information System (HRIS) while they were not listed in the manual payroll?
Could this be part of a wider cartel within the Homa Bay County Government responsible for issuing fake employment letters to unsuspecting victims in return for hundreds of thousands of shillings in bribes?
Now, the Homa Bay County Public Service Board has written to the County Secretary to stop the 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 responding to earlier communication requesting the board to verify the employment status of 158 county employees.
She wrote:
“The above subject matter refers. Following your letter dated 12th March 2025, REF HB./CTY/CS/CPSB/VOL.X (130), which required the board to verify the employment status of one hundred and fifty-eight officers who were not in the manual payroll but were integrated into the HRIS in the months of March, May, June and July 2024, the board conducted verification as requested.
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, as 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 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 the 101 officers and initiate disciplinary processes against officers who facilitated their irregular engagement with the county government.”
Homa Bay County is increasingly being viewed as a theatre of the absurd, where employment scandals, such as claims of job “auctioning” and the issuance of fake appointment letters, are becoming the norm.
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 regarding his ordeal and requested her intervention.
In his letter, he claimed he lost the money to individuals working closely with members of the County Public Service Board.
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) 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 a graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and CPA (IV), and thus needed to be recruited as Revenue Clerk (I).
For the record, the accomplice received Sh100,000 in cash in the presence of my son, and then 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 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 I and was to earn Sh31,270 per month, with a house allowance of Sh5,800, commuter allowance of Sh4,000, and a 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 I.
This appointment takes effect from 1st May 2023.”
But Prof Muok denied signing the letter, saying the signature was fake.
“This is not my signature. It is a fake one. The best course of action would be to report to the police,” he said
