Inside DCI’s Ksh6.2B ghost workers hunt as detectives trace govt payroll fraud networks
By Aloys Michael, July 8, 2026The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched a major probe into suspected government payroll fraud after receiving a forensic audit report that flagged irregularities amounting to Ksh6.2 billion.
DCI Director Mohamed Amin said detectives are now tracing possible ghost workers, unauthorised payroll changes and criminal networks suspected of manipulating the public service payroll system.
Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, alongside Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, Amin said the investigation will rely on an evidence-based approach targeting irregularities involving 1,054,425 civil servants across ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as well as county governments.
“We have received a Human Resource Audit and Forensic report, and we are fully equipped under evidence-based investigation to look into the suspected payroll fraud, including the reported irregularities amounting to Ksh6.2 billion identified in the initial audit report,” DCI Amin stated.
As the probe begins, detectives will first verify personal numbers used in payroll processing to identify possible ghost workers and establish whether employee records were manipulated.
Investigators will also examine unauthorised alterations to staff records, irregular salary payments and weaknesses in internal controls that may have allowed fraudulent transactions to take place.
The DCI said its wider objective is to dismantle criminal networks reported to be involved in exploiting loopholes within the government payroll system.
“Our teams will verify the personal numbers used in the payroll processing. We shall further examine all unauthorised alterations to records, all irregular payments, and weak controls and dismantle any criminal network that is involved in the manipulation of our government’s payroll systems,” the DCI boss said.
Payroll fraud
The investigations will involve collaboration with key government agencies, including the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), asset recovery agencies and the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), as authorities move to trace and recover any public funds lost through fraudulent payroll activities.
Amin said officials from the National Treasury, internal audit departments and the Ministry of Public Service will also support the investigations to strengthen accountability and ensure all evidence is properly reviewed.
He assured Kenyans that the probe would be concluded within the shortest time possible and warned that anyone found responsible, regardless of their position or status, would face legal action.
The DCI payroll fraud investigation comes as the government intensifies efforts to migrate all state agencies, departments and parastatals to the Human Resource Information System (HRIS), a unified payroll platform designed to improve oversight of public employees.
CS Geoffrey Ruku recently warned that government institutions that fail to transition to the new HRIS system within one month risk having their salary payments affected.
The crackdown marks one of the government’s biggest attempts to clean up the public payroll system, eliminate ghost workers and strengthen controls over billions of shillings allocated for public sector salaries.