DEAD OFFICERS ON KRA PAYROLL

In the wake of the hurried transfers at Kenya Revenue Authority two weeks ago, which affected mainly customs officers in the enforcement department, officers who passed on and others who resigned received letters of transfer as well.

This shocked many in the authority that it made no sense in that human resources could be still sending letters to persons who died or who resigned five years ago.

It left many in awe that a lady, one Zipporah, who passed on years ago, was still on the authority’s payroll, while the late one Ignatius too received a transfer letter to a new station.

At the same time, Lina Otichillo who resigned years ago also appeared to have been transferred to another station in the country whereas transfer allowances were allocated to all of them.

According to a source in the authority, there is a total disconnect between the KRA human resources and the reality of issues on the ground.

The source added that it was now becoming even much clearer that there could be hundreds of “ghost” workers on KRA’s payroll where some individuals were pocketing millions of shillings monthly in unclaimed salaries.

All these comes after a scheme by three commissioners to ensure commissioner of customs services Beatrice Memo’s contract is not renewed in February 2015 when her term ends.

The commissioners who hatched the scheme to move the enforcement officers from their southern region stations to other places as border control officers other than what they have all along been, were named as Kathatwa and Jane Ombui.

It is said that Commissioner Kamau Ng’ang’a, who at one time was in charge of the southern region before being forced out is planning a new move where his old buddies in import of goods will return to Mombasa Port now that the enforcement officers who straightened cargo clearance have been put out of the way.

The transfers have seen recently posted officers to Mombasa again being moved to other places with fresh transfer allowances allocated in a manner that many are questioning whether the human resource department has no other use as the millions are being spent on the fictitious transfers.

Strange enough and to prove that the transfers were maliciously effected, those who were posted to other places are finding it difficult to perform their duties either for being posted to places where there is no work for the officers, or by being overcrowded at one place where only a few officers would have performed better.

For example, the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Baggage Hall has received a huge number of officers, a hundred in number, such that they outnumber the clients they are supposed to be serving, according to a source.

Meanwhile, Busia border, a place which was managed perfectly by a few officers, has received more than it requires when 20lady officers were posted there at one go. 

The same scenario has replicated it self in many other stations like Malaba border, Malindi, Vanga, Kiunga, Lunga Lunga, Lwakhakha, Swamu, Shimoni, Liboi amongst other places.

As the scheme was developing,  a senior human resources commissioner who had restored sanity in the department, was swiftly moved to investigations department to pave way for the transfers to be effected perfectly by the three schemers, only for the same commissioner to be returned to human resources long after the mess had been done without his input and letters of transfer sent to the affected officers including those who had passed on or had resigned.