This archive report was first published on 18 October 2019.
Kenya's civil service has been plagued by the issue of ghost workers, where deceased individuals continue to draw salaries long after their passing. The phenomenon has reached new heights with the re-appointment of a dead man to serve as a member of the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB).
ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru announced the re-appointment of Robert Kochalle, who died on May 28, 2018, through a gazette notice published on October 16, 2019. Kochalle was re-appointed together with Gathoni Kung'u and Nereah Aluoch Okanga, sparking widespread criticism and mockery.
According to the gazette notice, the Cabinet Secretary re-appointed the three individuals as members of the KFCB for a period of three years, effective from October 21, 2019. The notice read: 'In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 11A (e) of the Film and Stage Plays Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and Technology, re-appoints Gathoni Kung'u, Robert Kochalle, Nereah Alouch Okanga as members of the Kenya Film Classification Board, for a period of three (3) years, with effect from the 21st October, 2019.'
The re-appointment of a dead man has raised questions about the efficiency and effectiveness of government processes, particularly in the approval stages of gazette notices. The deceased, Robert Kochalle, had a successful career in public service, serving as the MP for Laisamis between 1992 and 1997, and as an assistant minister in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife.
Kenya Film and Classification Board CEO Ezekiel Mutua has defended the re-appointment, stating that it was a mistake and that the matter was being blown out of proportion. Mutua noted that the Board had presented the notification to the Ministry for replacement, but inadvertently, Kochalle was re-appointed.
Similar cases of ghost workers have been reported in other government institutions, including health facility management boards in Embu County. In one instance, a dead chairman had his term 'renewed' in December last year, and in another, a dead man was still gazetted as a board member.
