Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes

Also known as: Ministry of Public Service

Ministry overseeing public service payroll and human resources; uncovered Ksh.6.2 billion payroll fraud in 2026.

2026-05-072026-10-22

News reports

Order a long-term news report on Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes

Every mention in the Kenyan press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

July 2026
5 JulThe Standard
… perate and to ensure that no public funds are lost through salaries and other emoluments as a result of payroll manipulation,” said Ruku.The suspected fraud was uncovered during an audit conducted by the Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes …
Government targets public officers in Sh6.2 B payroll fraud crackdown
2 JulCitizen Digital
… Among the resolutions, the Ministry of Health committed to engage the Ministry of Public Service to facilitate the immediate activation of the IPPD code to enable implementation of basic salary adjustments under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). …
KMPDU, Health ministry reach agreement on doctors' pay, CBA, internships
1 JulCitizen Digital
… The directive follows a comprehensive payroll audit conducted by the Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes under Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku. …
Cabinet orders DCI probe into suspected Ksh.6.2B payroll fraud
May 2026
7 MayCapital News
… The objective of the spot checks, according to the Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes, is to assess whether public servants are delivering efficient, citizen-centred services and adhering to official working hours. …
CS Ruku’s Dawn Spot Check in Garissa Reveals Widespread Absenteeism at Govt Offices

Politics

CS Ruku suspends 84 HR officers, probes payroll irregularities

The News

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Ruku has revoked payroll access for 84 human resources officers and ordered them on mandatory 30-day leave following investigations into suspected irregularities in payroll systems across the Ministry of Health, Kenya Police Service and Kenya Prisons Service. The measure is intended to allow forensic investigations into flagged transactions that may have resulted in loss of public funds.

16 October 2026 · Capital News →

Friday 16 October

CS Ruku suspends 84 HR officers, probes payroll irregularities
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Ruku has revoked payroll access for 84 human resources officers and ordered them on mandatory 30-day leave following investigations into suspected irregularities in payroll systems across the Ministry of Health, Kenya Police Service and Kenya Prisons Service. The measure is intended to allow forensic investigations into flagged transactions that may have resulted in loss of public funds.
16 October 2026 · Capital News →
CS orders 84 HR officers to step aside over payroll fraud
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has ordered 84 human resource officers from the Kenya Prisons Service, Kenya Police Service and two departments in the Ministry of Health to step aside for 30 working days as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations investigates suspected payroll fraud estimated at Ksh.6.2 billion. The officers have been implicated in suspected irregularities identified in a government payroll audit and DCI report dated October 7, 2026.
16 October 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Saturday 19 September

Clinical officers sustain 60-day strike in 15 counties over CBA
Clinical officers have continued their strike, which began July 20, in 15 counties whose governors have not signed and implemented the Collective Bargaining Agreement. According to Kenya Union of Clinical Officers secretary general George Gibore, 38 counties have now signed the CBA (up from 11 at the strike's start), but eight counties—Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Uasin Gishu, Lamu, and Baringo—have not, and the union blames county employers for breaching Labour Relations Act timelines.
19 September 2026 · The Standard →

Monday 31 August

Counties to absorb UHC workers into permanent, pensionable positions
During an IBEC session chaired by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, counties agreed to absorb eligible UHC workers into their establishments on permanent and pensionable terms, with the transition financed through County Governments Additional Allocations for 2026/27. The Ministry of Health will be reimbursed for payments made to workers in July and August, and the Public Service Commission will issue uniform guidelines to ensure consistent implementation across counties.
31 August 2026 · The Standard →

Thursday 23 July

Council of Governors blames Health Ministry for worker strikes
Council of Governors Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi accused the Ministry of Health of fuelling health worker strikes by failing to honour funding and administrative agreements, insisting county governments are being unfairly blamed for public healthcare disruptions. Abdullahi said counties will begin paying doctors revised Collective Bargaining Agreement rates from August after recently obtaining a special payroll code from the Ministry of Public Service.
23 July 2026 · Capital News →
Nurses threaten nationwide strike from July 29
The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives issued a seven-day strike notice on July 23, threatening to withdraw services nationwide from July 29 unless national and county governments resolve long-standing labour grievances including collective bargaining rights, delayed promotions, and absorption of UHC workers into permanent terms.
23 July 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 22 July

KMPDU threatens nationwide strike over delayed salary adjustments
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union has threatened to call a nationwide doctors' strike if county governments fail to implement long-delayed basic salary adjustments and clear outstanding arrears under the 2017–2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement. Union Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah directed doctors across all 47 counties to verify whether revised salary scales were reflected in July 2026 payslips, warning of immediate industrial action and contempt of court proceedings against non-compliant accounting officers.
22 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Doctors threaten nationwide strike over delayed salary adjustments
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union has threatened a nationwide strike, directing doctors in all 47 counties to check their July 2026 payslips and warning of industrial action if revised salaries or a payment schedule for arrears are not reflected.
22 July 2026 · The Standard →

Sunday 5 July

Government to crack down on payroll fraud suspects
Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku announced that the government will take firm action against public servants involved in payroll manipulation, with measures to be unveiled on Tuesday. The action follows a Cabinet directive ordering the DCI to investigate alleged payroll fraud suspected of costing the government Sh6.2 billion, uncovered through an audit by the Ministry of Public Service.
5 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Government to act against public servants in Ksh.6.2B payroll fraud
The Cabinet Secretary for Public Service announced the government will take firm action against public servants involved in payroll manipulation, following a Cabinet directive for the DCI to investigate alleged fraud suspected of costing the government Ksh.6.2 billion. The suspected fraud was uncovered in an audit by the Ministry of Public Service.
5 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Government to pursue public officers over Sh6.2B payroll fraud
An audit by the Ministry of Public Service uncovered suspected fraud amounting to Sh6.2 billion in the public service payroll. The government will announce measures on Tuesday targeting human resource managers found to have manipulated the payroll system, with the Cabinet directing the DCI to investigate and those found culpable facing legal action.
5 July 2026 · The Standard →

Thursday 2 July

KMPDU and Health Ministry agree on doctors' pay and conditions
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union and the Health Ministry have reached agreements on salaries, collective bargaining agreements, medical cover, employment and internship following a meeting led by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale. The Ministry committed to activate the IPPD code to enable implementation of basic salary adjustments under the CBA and include 2024-2025 basic salary arrears.
2 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Wednesday 1 July

Cabinet directs DCI to investigate 6.2 billion payroll fraud
The Cabinet has ordered the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to probe a suspected KSh6.2 billion government payroll fraud uncovered by a Ministry audit. The audit exposed systemic manipulation of payroll systems including ghost workers, unlawful salary increments, multiple payments to individual officers, irregular promotions, fraudulent tax exemptions, and unauthorised record alterations.
1 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Thursday 7 May

CS Ruku's dawn spot check finds widespread absenteeism
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku conducted an early morning spot check at the North Eastern Regional Offices in Garissa on May 7 and found most public servants absent at 7:30am. The surprise visit, part of a one-year accountability drive across several regional offices, revealed what the Ministry described as severe lapses in discipline and professionalism, prompting CS Ruku to warn of immediate administrative action to restore discipline and improve service delivery.
7 May 2026 · Capital News →