The Council of Governors (COG), chaired by Anne Waiguru, has pledged to rid the public service of employees with fraudulent educational certificates and to reduce county wage expenditure by 35%.
Speaking on Wednesday at the Third National Wage Bill Conference in Bomas, Nairobi, Waiguru outlined plans for a comprehensive review of staffing structures across devolved units to improve public sector efficiency.
“We commit that we will also review our staff structures to ensure that they are aligned with needs and also undertake a review of education documents for staff working in County Governments. We also commit on behalf of all Governors, to weed out all individuals with fake certificates,” stated Waiguru.
She affirmed the feasibility of reducing the county wage bill from an average of 45 percent to 35 percent of revenue, citing unwavering commitment from leadership quarters.
“On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to give a commitment on the implementation of the main resolution of this conference of reducing the wage bill by 35 percent by 2027. We will endeavour to do that,” Waiguru added.
She stated that both the national and county governments must take deliberate action to reduce the wage bill in order to implement development projects that will help the nation grow.
Addressing the need for streamlined processes and workflows, Waiguru advocated for the use of innovative tools and technologies to increase productivity in public service delivery.
"As County Governments, we are committed to implementing the resolutions arising from this conference, including measures to curb the escalating wage bill," she affirmed.
Waiguru further emphasized the importance of expediting the transfer of devolved functions and associated resources to enable counties to fulfill their mandates effectively.
"Our goal from this conference is a tangible reduction in the wage bill. This is within reach, given the support of the current administration. Let us seize this opportunity to demonstrate the pivotal role of the public service in delivering quality services," concluded Waiguru.