ADVERT 
A deepening payroll crisis has rocked the Siaya County Government after it emerged that hundreds of employees — including senior officials — have gone without salaries for two consecutive months due to the absence of personal file numbers required for payroll processing.
The crisis, now sparking outrage within the County Assembly, has exposed glaring inefficiencies in the county’s Human Resource Department, with lawmakers accusing officials of systemic failure and possible corruption.
More than 500 permanent and casual workers, among them market sweepers and hospital cleaners, have reportedly worked for years without being assigned the critical personnel file numbers needed to onboard them into the official payroll system.
The situation worsened after the Controller of Budget halted manual salary payments, enforcing strict compliance with the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Database (IPPD), effectively locking out all staff not captured in the system.
Assembly Blames HR for “Gross Inefficiency”
During a heated Assembly session chaired by Speaker George Okode, Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) sharply criticized the Human Resource Department for what they termed as “gross inefficiency” and administrative negligence.
Lawmakers revealed that affected workers have been subjected to endless bureaucratic delays, being shuffled from office to office — a process some allege is deliberately designed to solicit bribes from desperate employees.
Speaker Okode did not mince his words, warning that the Assembly would take decisive action against officers responsible for the crisis.
“Workers’ lives are now rendered unbearable. Some have been evicted, others cannot pay school fees or meet basic needs. This is unacceptable,” he said.
He further called for urgent reforms within the department, including restricting system access to only accountable officers and streamlining the issuance of personnel file numbers.
East Ugenya MCA Fredrick Omoro described the situation as “shameful,” noting that senior officers tasked with safeguarding workers’ welfare were instead presiding over their suffering.
His North Sakwa counterpart, Oliver Arika, dismissed attempts to shift blame to the national government, insisting the problem was purely internal.
“Staff are being tossed left, right and centre. Even the HR director claims she lacks authority to initiate or approve the process. This is a clear system failure that must be fixed urgently,” Arika stated.
Behind the bureaucratic gridlock lies a growing humanitarian concern. Workers at the lowest rungs — many earning modest wages — are bearing the brunt of the crisis, with reports of evictions, school dropouts, and mounting debt.
The unfolding situation has raised serious questions about governance, accountability, and the integrity of public service delivery within Siaya County.
As pressure mounts, the County Assembly is expected to push for immediate corrective measures, including a comprehensive audit of the Human Resource Department and expedited processing of all pending personnel records.
For now, however, hundreds of workers remain trapped in limbo — working without pay, and waiting for a system meant to serve them to finally function.
