The State Department for Diaspora Affairs has cited budgetary challenges for the delay in deploying newly recruited Foreign Service cadets to the country's missions abroad.
Diaspora Affairs PS Roseline Njogu, in submissions before Parliament, said the cash crunch has stalled the postings.
The PS confirmed to the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the officers were recruited above the number the state department had requested.
Njogu was appearing before the committee, chaired by Butere MP Tindi Mwale, to respond to Auditor General Nancy Gathungu's audit report for the 2023-24 financial year.
Gathungu had flagged the over-recruitment of Foreign Service officers in her report.
The PS acknowledged the state department's budget shortfall of Sh278.8 million had affected the deployment of the Foreign Service officers.
She was responding to questions from MPs Otiende Amollo (Rarieda) and Oundo Midenyo (Funyula), who questioned why the state department had proceeded with the recruitment despite being unable to deploy the officers.
"Was there a budget before you recruited the staff?" Amollo posed.
"Where is the value for money? What are the officers currently doing?" Midenyo added.
Foreign Service officers, among other responsibilities, promote trade, secure foreign investment, and market Kenyan products and tourism abroad.
Njogu blamed the Public Service Commission (PSC), accusing it of going against the state department's request to recruit 16 officers.
"We wrote to PSC asking for 16 officers, but it gave us 28 officers," the PS said.
She said the department "doesn't have ghost workers".
Njogu defended her docket, saying recruitment at entry level, CSG 11 'J', is carried out by the PSC, "not by the state department", referring to an October 11, 2023, letter to the PSC declaring 16 vacancies.
The committee, however, remained unconvinced.
"You have not attached the necessary documents to support your response. Get us the proper documents and the list of the 28 officers, including their identity card numbers and the amount they have been paid to date," Mwale said.
"We want to correct this so that public funds are well utilised."
The audit indicated that, through a letter dated October 11, 2023, the state department declared 16 vacancies for Foreign Service Officer III positions to the PSC.
In response, the PSC, in a letter dated February 15, 2024, conveyed its decision to appoint 22 officers to fill the vacancies.
"This was contrary to the Human Resource Policies and Procedures Manual for the Public Service," the audit states.
Gathungu's report further indicates the PSC went on to appoint 28 Foreign Service officers in a letter dated August 2, 2024, on local terms of service.
"The cadets were appointed in excess of the approved staff establishment. The Diaspora Welfare and Rights Directorate had 34 officers in post against 14 authorised, resulting in an excess of 20," the audit reads.
