The Council of Governors (CoG) has called for regular workforce audits in public institutions, highlighting the need for proper management of public employees, accountability in the use of government resources and improved service delivery across the country.

The proposal comes amid ongoing discussions about the management of public resources, the rising wage bill and the need to ensure that government institutions operate efficiently. The Council of Governors wants public institutions to establish a reliable system for regularly reviewing their workforce to determine the number of employees, their responsibilities, qualifications and the actual services they provide.The call also highlights the importance of ensuring that public institutions employ people according to their staffing requirements rather than maintaining unnecessary positions or having employees whose duties overlap.

A regular workforce audit would help both national and county governments understand their staffing needs and make informed decisions when recruiting new employees, promoting existing workers or reorganising departments.

The Council of Governors represents Kenya's 47 county governments and plays an important role in addressing issues affecting devolution, county administration and the delivery of services to citizens.The proposed audits are intended to address several challenges that have affected public institutions, including questionable recruitment practices, inaccurate employee records, payroll irregularities and poor workforce planning.

One of the major concerns in public service management is the possibility of public funds being spent on employees who cannot be properly accounted for. Regular verification would help institutions establish whether every person listed on their payroll is a legitimate employee and whether the individual is actively serving in the position recorded.

The issue has attracted national attention following revelations of suspected payroll fraud involving public institutions. On October 29, 2026, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku announced that the government was undertaking a nationwide headcount of public officers to address payroll abuse, including ghost workers and irregular promotions. Ghost workers have remained a major concern in public-sector financial management. These are individuals who appear in official employment or payroll records but do not legitimately work for the institutions paying them.

Such irregularities can result in significant financial losses because government institutions may continue paying salaries and allowances without receiving any corresponding services.

Regular workforce audits would help identify suspicious employee records, verify personal details and establish whether workers are reporting to their designated workplaces.

The government has previously raised concerns about suspicious payroll transactions involving the Kenya Prisons Service, Kenya Police Service and Ministry of Health. Investigations have also involved human resource officials suspected of participating in payroll irregularities.Another important reason for conducting regular audits is to help county governments establish the actual number of employees required in different departments.

Kenya's 47 county governments are responsible for providing essential services, including healthcare, agriculture, early childhood education, water services and local infrastructure.

Each department requires employees with appropriate qualifications and skills to fulfil its responsibilities.

However, workforce planning becomes difficult when institutions lack accurate information about the number of employees they have, their professional qualifications and the specific duties they perform.

A regular audit would enable county administrations to identify departments experiencing staff shortages and those with more employees than their operational requirements demand.When a large percentage of county revenue is consumed by salaries, administrations may experience difficulties financing development projects.

The need for proper workforce management has also been highlighted by previous audit findings.

In January 2026, reports based on the Auditor General's findings indicated that more than 27,000 workers had been unlawfully hired across 41 counties between the 2021/22 and 2023/24 financial years. The concerns included recruitment without approved staffing plans and adequate budgetary provisions.

These findings demonstrate why regular workforce assessments are important in ensuring that recruitment decisions follow established procedures.The call for workforce audits also raises questions about how public institutions recruit employees.

Recruitment in government institutions should be guided by qualifications, experience, professional competence and the requirements of available positions.

Public employment opportunities should be accessible through transparent and fair recruitment processes.

However, irregular recruitment can create challenges when institutions employ people without properly establishing whether the positions are necessary or whether sufficient funds are available.

Regular workforce audits would help identify employees whose recruitment records require further verification and establish whether institutions have followed the relevant employment regulations.

The process would also help prevent situations in which individuals receive promotions or appointments without meeting the required professional qualifications.Public institutions need reliable payroll systems that can accurately record employee information, salaries, allowances and other employment benefits.

An integrated human resource and payroll system would make it easier to identify duplicate employee records, suspicious salary transactions and unauthorised payments.

The government has already been pursuing reforms aimed at improving payroll management.

In May 2026, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku directed government institutions to migrate their human resource operations to a centralised and tamper-resistant system. The reforms included employee verification, biometric registration and regular staff headcounts.

Principal Secretary for Public Service Prof. Jane Kere Imbunya also emphasised the importance of accurate payroll records, regular audits and accountability systems during the 30th Annual National Human Resource Management Conference in Naivasha.Protecting county development projects

The Council of Governors' emphasis on workforce planning is also important because county governments have many development responsibilities.

Counties receive revenue from the national government and collect their own revenues to finance development programmes and recurrent expenditure.

When staffing levels are not properly managed, excessive salary expenditure can reduce the resources available for development.

Regular audits would help county governments establish whether their current workforce is affordable and whether the distribution of employees supports the delivery of essential services.

For example, counties experiencing shortages of medical personnel may need to prioritise recruitment in hospitals and dispensaries.Other counties may require more agricultural officers, engineers, water technicians and other professionals to support development programmes.

A proper workforce assessment would help identify these priorities.

The objective should not necessarily be to reduce the number of public employees but to ensure that available human resources are distributed according to the needs of citizens.

This would help county administrations improve service delivery while maintaining responsible financial management.On October 29, 2026, the Council of Governors raised concerns over delayed disbursement of KSh8.9 billion intended to facilitate the absorption of UHC workers into county governments on improved employment terms.

Njuki explained that counties had been forced to seek overdraft facilities from financial institutions to meet their obligations while waiting for the funds.

The delays have placed additional pressure on county budgets and could affect resources available for development programmes.

The matter demonstrates why workforce planning must go hand in hand with predictable financing.What regular workforce audits should examine

For the proposed workforce audits to achieve their objectives, public institutions would need to examine several important areas.

1. Employee verification

Institutions should confirm that every employee appearing in their records is a legitimate worker with valid appointment documents and an identifiable position.

2. Payroll accuracy

Auditors should compare employee records with payroll information to identify duplicate payments, unauthorised salary entries and suspicious transactions.

3. Professional qualifications

The exercise should establish whether employees possess the academic and professional qualifications required for their positions.

4. Staffing levels

Institutions should assess whether their departments have sufficient employees to perform their responsibilities effectively.

5. Employee productivity

Performance assessments should establish whether public servants are meeting their responsibilities and contributing to institutional objectives.Some public servants may be absent from their workplaces because of approved annual leave, maternity leave, medical treatment, official assignments or other authorised responsibilities.

Such employees should not automatically be classified as ghost workers simply because they are unavailable during a physical headcount.

The verification process should therefore consider official employment records, authorised leave documents and other relevant evidence.

The government should also provide clear communication about the exercise to avoid unnecessary anxiety among public employees.Kenyans expect public institutions to use taxpayers' money responsibly and provide quality services.

Citizens who visit hospitals expect access to qualified medical professionals. Farmers expect agricultural officers to provide technical assistance, while parents expect public education institutions to have enough personnel to support learning.

Regular workforce audits could help address these expectations by ensuring that public employees are properly deployed and held accountable for their responsibilities.

The process could also help identify skills gaps and guide government investment in professional training.

Institutions would have an opportunity to develop training programmes that address specific challenges instead of spending resources on courses that do not directly improve productivity.