Controller of budget Agnes Odhiambo.[Photo/the-star.co.ke]
Ministries and State agencies blew Sh3.9 billion on internal training in the year ended June with little justification as the government delays retirement of workers due to skills shortages.
Controller of Budget Agnes Odhiambo says in her latest report that taxpayers spent Sh1.1 billion more on staff training in the period to June, up from Sh2.8 billion in the previous year.
The rise in expenditure on trainings raises queries on value to taxpayers as over-age employees continue to draw salaries due to lack of replacements.
A public service report released in May showed 1,707 government employees in managerial and technical positions are past the retirement age of 60 but have been retained due to a skills shortage that hampered their replacement.
Data from the Controller of Budget shows the State Department for Public Service and Youth Affairs spent 951.2 million on training staff, topping the list of high spenders.
The State Department of Interior came in second with an expenditure of Sh825 million, followed by the Ministry of Health Sh212 million.