This archive report was first published on 18 October 2019.
On October 18, 2019, ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru made headlines with a peculiar appointment to the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB). In a special Gazette notice, he appointed Charity Kochalle to the office previously held by her late husband, Robert Kochalle.
Robert Kochalle had been appointed to the position just days earlier, but his death on May 28, 2018, had not been publicly disclosed. The appointment sparked widespread outrage, with many questioning the selection of a dead man for a key position.
Mr. Mucheru's decision to replace Robert Kochalle with his widow has raised serious questions about the vetting process and the appointment of ghost workers. The move has also exposed the lack of transparency in the appointment of officials to government departments and agencies.
The appointment of ghost workers is a significant challenge for both the national and county governments, with President Uhuru Kenyatta and governors struggling to slash the public wage bill, which currently stands at over Sh700 billion.
Mr. Mucheru's gaffe has also left the KFCB's chief executive, Executive Mutua, exposed to scrutiny, particularly given the KCFB's sponsorship of Mr. Kochalle's death and funeral announcement in June 2018.
