A senior government officer at the Nandi Huduma Center forced junior staff to surrender part of their salaries to a worker he later turned into his house help, before dismissing those who refused to comply, an investigation has revealed.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said the conduct amounted to abuse of office and a lack of honesty in the handling of public affairs.
According to the inquiry, the matter began after the Commission received an anonymous complaint alleging unethical conduct by the Huduma Center Manager at the public service facility.
Salary Deductions at Nandi Huduma Center
Investigators established that the incident occurred when the government had withdrawn cleaning services previously provided by a contractor during the COVID-19 period.
To keep operations running, the Nandi Huduma secretariat resolved to hire casual cleaners on three-month renewable contracts.
The decision opened the door for applications through the center manager.
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After hiring a new cleaner, the manager allegedly introduced the worker to the team and directed three existing cleaners to contribute part of their monthly wages to support the new recruit.
Each worker was ordered to give up Ksh3,000 per month, later increased to Ksh3,200.
The directive effectively reduced the earnings of the affected staff, even though they were already on short-term contracts.
The EACC found that the workers complied out of fear.
The manager allegedly warned that failure to surrender the money would result in their contracts not being renewed.
This arrangement continued for months, with the three cleaners sharing their wages with the new employee under pressure from their supervisor.
Worker Turned House Help
The investigation further established that the situation took a more troubling turn when the manager reportedly shifted the newly hired cleaner from official duties and instead employed the worker as a house help.
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Despite the change in role, the manager continued to demand that the three cleaners share their salaries with the same individual, even though the worker was no longer performing duties at the Huduma Center.
EACC said this showed clear abuse of authority, as public employees were being forced to finance a private arrangement under threats of job loss.
Two of the affected workers were eventually dismissed.
The manager accused them of reporting late to work and used that as grounds to terminate their contracts.
However, investigators reviewed the attendance register at the Huduma Center and found that the two employees had actually reported to work on time.
The dismissal was therefore deemed unjustified.
The Commission concluded that the termination was linked to the workers’ resistance or inability to continue surrendering part of their pay as instructed.
EACC Findings
In its findings, the Commission stated that the Huduma Center Manager failed to demonstrate honesty and truthfulness in the conduct of public affairs.
The actions not only violated ethical standards expected of public officers but also exploited vulnerable workers on short-term contracts.
The Commission noted that the Huduma Center Manager’s conduct formed part of a broader pattern of abuse of office flagged in the probe.
In similar investigations within Nandi County, EACC has been examining complaints involving the irregular hiring of casual workers, the manipulation of short-term contracts, and the exploitation of low-ranking staff through unlawful deductions and coercion.
In several instances, supervisors were accused of taking advantage of contract-based employees who depend on renewals to keep their jobs, making them vulnerable to intimidation and financial demands.
Separately, EACC flagged nepotism and irregular recruitment in the county, including cases where relatives and associates of senior officials were placed on the payroll or given positions despite lacking qualifications.
