Revealed: Deputy governors guzzle sh 2 billion without any official role

Deputy Governors in Kenya earn a whopping sh 400 million every month in salaries but they have no official duty in office. Details emerge.

Chairperson of the Governors Forum Dr. Caroline Karugu also DP Nyeri, on Wednesday August 19 disclosed the saddening preview of what the DG do against what they earn in salaries. She claimed that their intensive findings showed the governor’s assistants don’t have a defined role in county governments but still each take home sh 740,000 per month.

According to her damning report, in a month, they guzzle sh 400 million tax payers’ funds and in a year sh 2 billion end up in their pockets when in real sense they contribute nothing to the day to day running of their respective counties.

“Deputy Governors are paid Ksh740,000 a month. There are 46 of them which adds up to Ksh34 million multiply that by 12 months it becomes Ksh400 million. That, in five years is close to Ksh2 billion sinking in salaries for people who contribute nothing,” she stated.

In the Wednesday revelation, the report only indicated that DGs have one role as per the constitution – to step in whenever there is no governor in office. “DG will act in the absence of governors,” she said this citing the constitution.

The articulate DG then wondered why the law was not strict of the deputies since they also remain immune to impeachments but still very easier for them to topple their governors whenever they feel threatened.

She recommended that the office of the deputy governor should therefore be given an extra role in the many ministries in their respective counties so that to make good use of public funds.

In her submission to the Building Bridges Initiative BBI, Dr. Karugu had made the report and it is expected that this is addressed in the final BBI report.

“Deputy Governors are now doing charitable activities just so that they have functions to do. A Deputy President should also be a minister or Cabinet Secretary for something,” she observed.

Without proper role, deputies have resorted to office supremacy rivalry with their bosses hence the current state of affairs in many counties where there seems to be growing bad blood between the two offices.