Hiring freeze cripples service delivery in over 60 state agencies

The government’s continued suspension of hiring has pushed dozens of public agencies into a worsening human resource crisis, with new audit reports revealing that at least 60 institutions are operating far below required staffing levels.

The Auditor General’s findings for the financial year ending June 2024 show that these institutions need 15,075 new employees to function at full capacity, translating to a 35 per cent workforce shortfall.

The Treasury-imposed freeze, which began last year as part of efforts to control the wage bill, has been blamed for blocking the recruitment of essential personnel.

The reports warn that the staffing gap is having a direct impact on service delivery, with key public entities unable to meet performance targets and workers increasingly overwhelmed.

“The non-compliance with the staff establishment may affect service delivery to the public,” Auditor General Nancy Gathungu noted in the Judiciary’s audit.

“Although management has attributed the state of affairs to the government’s suspension of recruitment, the understaffing may result in staff burnout and inability to complete the organisation’s set objectives,” she observed.

The Judiciary has the largest overall gap, with 6,882 staff against the required 10,106.

The shortage is especially critical among judges and magistrates, who number only 826 out of a needed 1,547, a 47 per cent deficit.

Other institutions facing serious shortages include the Kenya Wildlife Service, which needs 1,788 more workers, the Kenya Forest Service, which is short by 1,647, and the South Nyanza Sugar Company, with a gap of 1,008.

Despite the growing pressure, there is still no clear indication from the government on when the freeze will be lifted or how the situation will be resolved, leaving affected institutions to operate with limited capacity and increasing strain.