Gachagua’s office had over 200 staff from one ethnic group - Auditor General
The report revealed that 46 per cent of employees in the office of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua—249 out of 542—were from one ethnic group, contravening national diversity laws.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has revealed that 46 per cent of employees in the office of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua—249 out of 542—were from one ethnic group, contravening national diversity laws.
In a report for the 2023/24 financial year ending in June, Gathungu noted that a review of personnel records indicated an ethnic imbalance in hiring practices.
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"This was contrary to Section 7(1) and 7(2) of the National Cohesion and Integration Act of 2008, which provides that all public institutions shall seek to represent the diversity of the people of Kenya in the employment of staff, and no public establishment shall have more than one-third of its staff from the same community," reads the report.
The Auditor General concluded that the employment status during Gachagua’s tenure breached the law.
Additionally, the report found that 42 employees in the office received a net salary amounting to less than one-third of their basic salary in various months, violating Section 19(3) of the Employment Act, 2007, which stipulates that deductions from an employee’s wage should not exceed two-thirds of their pay.
Further scrutiny revealed that as of June 30, 2024, the office had pending bills amounting to Sh4.8 million, which were carried forward to the 2024/25 financial year.
Gathungu warned that failing to settle these bills distorted budgetary allocations for the subsequent year, stressing the need for accountability in expenditure and a review of regulations governing security-related spending.
She recommended the implementation of internal oversight mechanisms to ensure responsible use of public funds.
Following Gachagua’s impeachment in October, the government sent 108 employees from his office on compulsory leave starting Saturday, October 18. A letter signed by Principal Administrative Secretary Patrick Mwangi directed all heads of departments to appoint responsible officers to take over operations immediately.
Among those affected were Njeri Rugene, a communication strategist at the Deputy Presidential Communication Service (DPCS), and Rose Wangari Gakuo, Secretary of State Functions.
The extensive list of affected staff sparked debate, with critics questioning the duplication of roles within the Deputy President’s office. Notably, the office had 10 deputy directors of communications and four assistant directors of communications, despite government-wide austerity measures.
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