Seasoned human rights activist and former Kenya Civil Servants Union Secretary General, Dr. Isaac Newton Kinity, has raised alarm over what he describes as an alleged multi-billion-shilling pension fraud scheme that he claims has deprived thousands of retired Kenyan workers of their retirement benefits and pensions.
In a series of public statements, the 2027 presidential hopeful alleged that the scheme involves the fraudulent use of retirees’ personal information to divert pension and retirement payments. According to him, individuals working in collusion with officials within government institutions allegedly create fake national identity cards bearing the same identification numbers and dates of birth as genuine retirees but with different photographs. The fraudulent documents are then allegedly used to process retirement benefits intended for the legitimate beneficiaries.
The former trade union leader further claimed that employment records of affected retirees are subsequently removed or become untraceable, making it nearly impossible for the rightful beneficiaries to prove their employment history or process their pension claims.
In a statement shared on social media, the Kikimo Foundation for Corruption and Poverty Eradication chairman described the alleged scheme as “a corruption scandal that has left millions of retired Kenyan workers in misery after losing their retirement benefits and pensions.”
According to the human rights campaigner, beyond previously reported cases involving alleged ghost workers in public institutions, there exists a more elaborate scheme targeting retired public servants. He claimed that corrupt individuals allegedly select the names of retirees, produce fake national identity cards bearing the same identification numbers and dates of birth as the genuine retirees but displaying different photographs, and then remove or conceal the retirees’ employment records from government offices.
He alleged that, working in collaboration with officials within the affected institutions, the fraudsters use the fake identity documents to fraudulently process and receive retirement benefits and pension payments intended for the legitimate retirees.
The former civil servants’ union boss further claimed that the alleged scheme has left many retired public servants unable to access their retirement benefits, with some reportedly spending years and, in some cases, decades pursuing payments without success. He alleged that hundreds of retirees have died after enduring financial hardship, depression and emotional distress while attempting to recover their pensions. These claims have not been independently verified.
“The retirement benefits of many genuine retirees have allegedly been paid to imposters, while the actual retirees spend years pursuing payments that never come,” he said.
As an illustration, he cited Ben Kinyahwe Mbugua, a Nakuru resident who retired in 2016 after approximately 40 years of public service . According to the anti-corruption advocate, Mbugua served at the former Ministry of Water Development, was later transferred to a Water Corporation, and subsequently worked at Nakuru General Hospital under the Ministry of Health.
Kinity alleged that Mbugua used the same national identity card throughout his public service. However, when he visited Huduma Centre in Nakuru to replace a lost identity card after retirement, he allegedly discovered that his identity card number had already been assigned to another individual.
According to the governance campaigner, Mbugua has since been advised to apply for a new national identity card but has declined, fearing that doing so could further complicate any future claim for his retirement benefits. He further alleged that Mbugua’s employment records could not be traced at the Ministry of Water Development, the Water Corporation, or Nakuru General Hospital, leaving him unable to process retirement benefits estimated at more than KSh800,000.
Maintaining that Mbugua’s case is only one among many, the 2027 presidential contender alleged that numerous retired public servants have faced similar circumstances across the country.
He called for comprehensive investigations into the allegations, accountability for anyone found responsible, recovery of any fraudulently acquired public funds, and urgent reforms to strengthen the protection of retirees’ records and pension payments.
Describing the alleged scheme as “corruption of the highest order,” the former union secretary general said those responsible should be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law. He urged the relevant authorities to take immediate action to restore public confidence in the administration of retirement benefits and protect Kenyan workers from similar cases in the future.
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