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A Senate oversight committee has accused Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga of spending Sh5.48 million on 66 county employees who had reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 years.

Kahiga was at pains to explain how his administration continued to pay salaries to employees who had attained the mandatory retirement age.

The revelations emerged during an audit query for the financial year ended June 2021 by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu.

According to the report, County Public Service Human Resource Manual 2013, section L.3 (1) states that all officers will be required to retire from the service on attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60 years.

The Senate County Public Accounts Committee chaired by Homa Bay lawmaker Moses Kajwang’ hard pressed the governor to justify his administration retaining employees despite attaining retirement age.

However, the Nyeri County chief argued that the 66 workers include county officers on contract basis and those with special needs.

According to Kahiga, the officers on contract terms, their appointment letters indicated that the employee’s contract would either expire at the end of the contract or attainment of mandatory 60 years whichever comes earlier.

Instead, he pointed out that employees with special needs retire at 65 years.