The governor is said to have set aside a budget to carry out the exercise eve writing to the Kenya National Examination Council to verify the certificates
Kisii County Governor Simba Arati has asked county staff who secured employment through fake academic papers to resign before they are sacked and taken to court. The vetting process at the county is said to have sent panic among several officers some of whom are left with less than 5 years to retire.
Tension is said to building up with a section of MCAs now calling on the governor to deal with ghost workers but spare those who had been formally employed even if they have fake certificates. Already, the governor is said to have set aside a budget to carry out the exercise and has written to the Kenya National Examination Council to verify the certificates. Governor Arati has said that he had received some intelligence reports alleging that some employees used fake form four certificates to join universities.
In September 2022, immediately after being sworn in as governor, Mr Arati was shocked to discover that the outgoing administration of James Ongwae had employed a total of 356 drivers against a backdrop of 82 vehicles. Some of the drivers couldn’t even drive.
There is fear that the ongoing audit is likely to end the careers of dozens of staff, some of them his friends. Mr Arati in a quick rejoinder described as hot air the criticism being levelled against his administration by some of his opponents alleging that he is involved in which hunting and that he is targeting staff whom he perceives to be close allies to former Governor James Ongwae.
Arati last week told county staff “If you got a fake certificate which you changed grades and got recruited as a clinic officer or director begin to resign now before we smoke you out”.
