Anxiety has gripped top officials in the Kisii county government after Governor Simba Arati promised to crack the whip on corrupt employees including those serving in his executive.
Arati on Thursday admitted there was graft among employees in the devolved unit, saying the depth of graft among some of his executives and chief officers was appalling and sickening.
He said he was ready to kick them out in a few days to come.
"There is no going back, those caught must be ready to bear the cost when the chopping begins," Arati said.
The county boss was speaking on Thursday afternoon at Gusii Stadium during a graduation event for ICT graduates who had been training under the Ajiry programme.
More than 1,300 students graduated from the programme.
Mastercard Foundation funded the training through the Ajiry programme.
Arati spoke hours after police in Kisii and Kisumu arrested several suspects over the theft of road equipment.
At least two graders had been stolen in the last month alone by people suspected to have links with scrap metal dealers in Kisumu.
One dealer was seized in Kisumu, Thursday as he prepared to smelt a grader stolen from the Emenwa area in Bobasi on August 10.
Another grader was stolen from the county yard and intercepted en route to Rongo in Migori county last week.
The governor on Thursday fingered some goons calling themselves the Governor's Men for executing the equipment theft syndicate.
"I have instructed security agencies to deal with them, we have no room for thieves," he said.
Arati said he had received intelligence of some officials collecting bribes from the public seeking services from the county offices.
"By next week heads will be rolling, they must be let go, I'm sure if we place advertisements, thousands will place applications," Arati said.
It is that statement that has left the top dogs anxious ahead of the impending firings.
Separately, Arati said at least 1,000 ghost staff would this week be struck off the county staff roll.
He made reference to a staff audit that unearthed the anomaly in March, months after he had assumed office.