Mbadi Orders Counties to Link Payrolls to IPPD in Crackdown on Ghost Workers

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has issued a stern directive requiring all counties to link their payrolls to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database (IPPD) within the next one month. He said this is the only effective way to eliminate ghost workers and bring down unsustainable wage bills that continue to weigh heavily on devolved governments.

According to the Treasury, counties currently spend an average of 55 percent of their total revenues on salaries, far above the set legal limit. Mbadi noted that such high expenditure on wages leaves little room for development and service delivery, making it both unlawful and unsustainable in the long run.

He further revealed that many counties are still running parallel payroll systems, including manual, casual, and online platforms, a practice that has contributed to inflated wage bills and allowed individuals who should not be on the payroll to continue drawing salaries.

The CS emphasized that the directive is binding on all county executives and must be implemented within the one-month window. He warned that failure to comply will attract consequences, stressing that streamlining payrolls through the IPPD is the only way to restore order, transparency, and accountability in human resource management across devolved units.

The new directive is part of broader government efforts to enhance financial discipline in counties and ensure resources are directed towards priority projects and services for citizens.