Nandi County has been thrust into the national spotlight after revelations of entrenched corruption, payroll manipulation, and systematic abuse of office under Governor Stephen Sang that point to large-scale mismanagement of public funds.
What is emerging is not an isolated incident but a complex web of fraudulent schemes that cut across human resource operations, procurement, and political patronage, all allegedly protected by high‑level interference.
At the center of the scandal are allegations that hundreds of county workers were unlawfully dismissed without adherence to due process or legal justification but salaries for many of these former employees continued to be drawn from the county payroll.
Evidence suggests that senior officials in the governor’s administration have been siphoning these funds under the guise of routine salary processing, creating an elaborate system of embezzlement conducted in full view of county systems.
The fraudulent manipulation of the payroll does not end there.
Investigations by oversight bodies within the County Assembly have revealed the existence of numerous ghost workers, as well as relatives, political allies, and close associates of top county officials who are allegedly drawing salaries outside official payroll channels.
These irregular payments have blocked the entry of legitimately recruited staff because vacant job groups remain tagged to salary arrears already being misappropriated by insiders.
In an extraordinary twist, county authorities are now pressuring unlawfully dismissed workers to submit formal resignations in exchange for reemployment.
This is aimed at sanitizing the illegal terminations while preventing auditors from linking stolen funds to specific Personal File (PF) numbers, which cannot be duplicated in government records. By forcing former employees to resign retroactively, officials hope to erase evidence of financial misconduct and shield themselves from accountability.
The unfolding scandal is compounded by allegations of political interference.
Multiple sources claim that senior national government figures have acted to protect the Nandi County leadership from scrutiny by agencies such as the Ethics and Anti‑Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
This alleged protection has emboldened county officials to operate with impunity, frustrating efforts to hold them accountable.
Further findings by an Ad‑Hoc Committee of the County Assembly have unearthed ghost projects such as fictitious or incomplete development initiatives that were nonetheless fully paid for using county funds.
There are also claims that the Governor personally benefited by awarding himself contracts and approving payments for non‑existent works.
These revelations meet the constitutional threshold for gross misconduct and could lead to impeachment proceedings as well as criminal prosecution.
Residents have expressed growing frustration as reports surface that dismissed workers have been summoned to meet the Governor in Kaimosi on the fifteenth of this month to tender resignations as a condition for reinstatement.
Relatives and associates of county officials are said to be drawing money outside the payroll, indicating that corruption within the administration extends beyond formal salary systems into direct illicit withdrawals.
Civil society organizations, professional associations, and political commentators are demanding urgent intervention by the DCI, EACC, and the Office of the Auditor General.
They are calling for a full forensic audit of payroll records, human resource files, and development budgets, as well as the freezing of accounts linked to suspicious withdrawals.
Unless immediate action is taken to secure records, investigate financial flows, and prosecute those responsible, the county risks becoming a textbook case of state capture at the devolved level.
Below is what multiple sources within the county administration have revealed about how the scheme is being executed and protected at the highest levels.
“Good afternoon Nyakundi. As a resident of Nandi, I have to tell you things are completely out of control here. What is happening is not just corruption — it is open theft protected from the very top.
Hundreds of county workers were chased away without any legal process, yet their salaries are still being withdrawn every month by people inside the Governor’s office. At the same time, relatives and friends of top county officials are being paid outside the payroll while those who were genuinely hired cannot even start work because those salary slots are already looted.
Now the county is forcing the same people they sacked to “resign formally” so they can be rehired. It is just a trick to hide the theft because once you resign, auditors cannot trace your original file number. They are sanitizing fraud, not fixing anything.
We hear even the national government is protecting the Governor from investigations by EACC and DCI. That is why nobody here is scared. They know they will not be touched.
The County Assembly has already exposed ghost projects — fake or incomplete works that were still fully paid for. There are even whispers that the Governor gave himself contracts and pocketed the money. Meanwhile, workers have been summoned to Kaimosi on the fifteenth to tender resignations just to get their jobs back, while friends and family of county bosses continue to eat.
We need urgent action from DCI, EACC, and the Auditor General to freeze accounts, secure records, and arrest these people. If nothing happens soon, Nandi will be a full case of state capture in broad daylight.”
