Audit reveals massive understaffing in key government agencies

A staffing crisis has gripped the public service, with fresh audit findings exposing how severe shortages across ministries, commissions and courts are crippling service delivery and hampering critical functions.

The details emerged just months after the National Treasury extended a three-year employment freeze to contain the ballooning wage bill.

According to the report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, interns are now running Huduma Centre desks in some regions while courts are struggling with unresolved cases stretching beyond three years.

Many state departments are operating with barely a third of their required workforce.

Agencies responsible for education, health, justice, land management, policing, agriculture and climate governance have been adversely affected.

At least 272 public institutions are under-established, a review by the Public Service Commission (PSC) shows.

The audit findings show that some of the most sensitive and critical public institutions are among the worst affected.

For instance, in the Judiciary, auditors found a staff deficit of 3,224 employees, with only 6,882 workers against an approved establishment of 10,106.

The shortage was even more acute among judges and magistrates, where only 564 officers were in place against a required 1,200, leaving a gap of 636 judicial officers.

The consequences, the report warns, are already visible in the justice system.

Auditors found that at the Kwale law courts alone, 496 court cases had remained unresolved for more than three years.

Another 905 case records lacked documented court directives, preventing progress of the matters.

The report also cited delays in updating the Court Tracking System and frequent transfers of judicial officers without clearance of pending cases.

“In the circumstances, the long-standing cases and missing outcomes on continuing court cases may negatively impact the effective delivery of justice,” Gathungu stated.

The health sector also emerged among the hardest hit.

At the Public Health department, only 190 positions had been filled out of an approved establishment of 663, leaving a shortfall of 473 workers.

Gathungu warned that the effectiveness of internal controls in the management of human resources could not be confirmed.

The Basic Education department was also flagged for massive staffing imbalances.

The department had 4,890 officers against an approved establishment of 9,587, translating to an understaffing of 4,697 employees.

At Lands and Physical Planning, auditors established that the department had 2,651 employees against an approved workforce of 4,590, resulting in a deficit of 1,939 officers.

The report warned that operations in the department could be hindered, affecting effective and efficient service delivery.

The State Law Office and Department of Justice was also found to be struggling with a major staffing crisis.

The office had 1,038 employees against an approved establishment of 1,492, resulting in a shortage of 454 workers.

Gathungu warned that the deficit could undermine the AG’s ability to advise ministries, departments, commissions and state corporations on legislative and legal matters.

The National Police Service Commission emerged among the most severely understaffed institutions.

Auditors found that the commission had only 271 employees against an approved establishment of 1,333, leaving a massive gap of 1,062 officers.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights was also operating far below its approved staffing level.

The commission had only 135 employees against an approved establishment of 461, leaving a shortfall of 326 officers, or 71 per cent below required levels.

At the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, staffing stood at 116 against an authorised establishment of 299 despite the recruitment of eight new employees during the year.

The shortage represented a deficit of 183 workers.

The Judicial Service Commission was similarly affected, with only 67 staff members against an approved establishment of 166.

The Teachers Service Commission secretariat also recorded a staffing gap of 420 employees.

At the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, 15 positions remained vacant.

The audit further revealed that some institutions had resorted to using interns to keep operations running.

Huduma Centre desks in Kisii, Kakamega, Bungoma and Nakuru were being managed by interns because of severe staffing shortages.

At the Commission on Administrative Justice, commonly known as the Ombudsman regional offices in Kisumu, Eldoret, Kisii, Nakuru, Mombasa and Makueni were also struggling with inadequate funding, lack of computers and logistical challenges.

Auditors warned that the lack of staffing and resources was undermining the commission’s ability to fulfil its mandate.

In the aviation sector, the Kenya Meteorological Department was found to be critically understaffed at key stations, including airports.

Auditors found that sampled meteorological stations in counties including Narok, Nyeri, Murang’a, Machakos, Kajiado, Kisumu, Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia had an average of only three technical staff against the optimal six.

At four international airports, only seven meteorological technical staff were in place against the required 16.

The report warned that the situation had led to a “perceived compromise” of air safety standards required by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.

Staff shortages were also flagged in agencies handling climate and youth affairs.

The Directorate of Climate Change had only 11 employees against an approved establishment of 30.

Auditors said the staffing gap could affect the directorate’s ability to advise on legislation, policy coordination and climate governance.

At Youth Empowerment Centres, more than 40 centres countrywide lacked substantive managers, with some officers overseeing multiple centres simultaneously.

The audit concluded that effective service delivery to the youth could not be confirmed.

In the Public Trustee of Kenya, the headquarters had only two accountants against the required five, while four regional offices lacked accountants altogether.

Auditors warned that the lack of proper staffing posed risks of errors and misstatements in accounting records.

Other departments flagged for serious understaffing include the departments of Water and Sanitation (92 officers), Tourism (25), Culture (406), Agriculture (216) and Public Service (188).

The National Land Commission was also found to be operating below capacity, with 842 employees against an approved establishment of 1,369.

Across the institutions, Gathungu repeatedly warned that the staffing shortages were undermining efficiency, weakening internal controls and affecting the ability of agencies to deliver services to the public.

The findings come amid mounting pressure on President William Ruto’s administration over the efficiency of public services and delays in the delivery of key government programmes.

While the government has in recent years argued that it is pursuing a leaner and more efficient public service, the audit findings suggest the cuts may now be stretching critical institutions beyond operational limits.