Scandal Erupts at Posta Kenya Over Unpaid Salaries, Fake Certificates & Management Disputes

Posta Kenya– Five months after the Kenyan government directed state corporations to audit their employees’ qualifications, the cash-strapped Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) fired over 20 staff with fake academic papers.

John Tonui, postmaster general, told the press that the corporation sent the academic qualifications of employees to the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) and the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) for verification. Tonui said the exercise has not ended and could weed out more people who falsified documents to get jobs.

This comes as the corporation readies a turnaround plan that will see it lay off over 500 workers as it rejigs its workforce to invest in new areas like e-commerce and cargo clearance. The ICT ministry-backed plan was approved by the company’s board in December 2023.

“The directive came from the Public Service Commission (PSC) and out of 780 academic papers we submitted for verification, those of 29 employees turned out to be fake,” John Tonui, postmaster general told the press

The postal service is among 50 state corporations struggling with a bloated wage bill, and have been unable to turn on profit. While Tonui agreed that the clamp down on fake degrees is not part of the restructuring, he admitted that it would help the corporation achieve some of its restructuring goals. As part of the plan, PCK will reduce its headcount from 2,364 to 1,860.

“The intention all lead to the same goal of having a lean corporation that is profitable and attractive to investors. We are working to turn around Posta to ensure it delivers efficient last-mile connectivity,” Tonui said.

PCK’s business model took a beating after people ditched sending letters and new entrants like bus companies took over the courier business. According to government disclosure, the postal service has accumulated $45.9 million (KES6 billion) in losses over the past decade.

To stay afloat, the government has handed the company contracts to provide last-mile delivery of medical supplies and passports. It also has an agreement with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Efforts by the ICT ministry to transform the corporation into an e-commerce and logistics service provider have hit numerous roadblocks including government bureaucracy, opposition from workers unions, and a tough operating environment that has seen established private players shut down.

Scandal Erupts at Posta Kenya Over Unpaid Salaries, Fake Certificates & Management Disputes

A scandal is unfolding at Posta Kenya, with reports indicating that the Human Resources department at the headquarters has identified nearly 300 employees possessing fake degrees and diplomas.

Sources reveal that these fraudulent certificates were filtered to protect certain staff members most of whom are reportedly children of high-ranking officials. CEO John Tonui took over as Postmaster General in December 2022 is fingered as a major bottleneck in addressing these issues. This scandal comes on top of existing financial woes at Posta.

Employees have not received their salaries since February. From the tone of an insider who spoke to us, there is a widespread frustration and unrest within the organization.

Posta Kenya is also undergoing a controversial restructuring process that involves merging various regions. One of the most contentious decisions is the creation of a mega region named Mt. Kenya, with its headquarters in Nyeri. Critics argue that this move is illogical as it involves paying rent in Nyeri, despite Meru having a large, rent-free facility that will now be abandoned.

The merger of Kisumu with Kakamega has also sparked discontent among the staff. Such wrangles at the management level have contributing to the growing instability within the organization.

Employees and stakeholders are calling for immediate action to address these issues and restore order at Posta Kenya.

It is yet to be seen how the leadership will navigate through these challenges and what the future holds for the affected employees.