72-Year-Old Kenyan Found on Ghanaian Govt Payroll as a Ghost Worker

Key Points

• A 72-year-old Kenyan, Kwame Donkor, was found on Ghana’s National Service Scheme (NSS) payroll as a ghost worker, likely a fraudulent entry.
• The photo used for Kwame Donkor actually belongs to Emmanuel Mutio, a Kenyan HR manager, indicating identity theft.
• This is part of a larger scandal with thousands of ghost names, including over-age individuals and duplicate entries, now under investigation by Ghanaian authorities.

A recent investigation by The Fourth Estate, a Ghanaian whistleblower group, revealed that Kwame Donkor, a 72-year-old Kenyan, was listed on the National Service Scheme (NSS) payroll.

This discovery is part of a massive scandal involving thousands of ghost workers—fictitious or fraudulent entries—costing the Ghanaian government hundreds of millions of cedis.

Ghana’s National Service Scheme is a mandatory program requiring graduates to serve in various sectors for one year, with the government providing allowances.

However, The Fourth Estate’s investigation uncovered widespread payroll discrepancies. In the case of Kwame Donkor, his entry in the NSS database lacked an identification card—a significant irregularity.

Further scrutiny revealed an even more alarming detail: the photo linked to Donkor’s file actually belonged to Emmanuel Mutio, a Kenyan HR professional employed by an IT firm.

A reverse image search confirmed that Mutio, who has never visited Ghana, was an unwitting victim of identity theft.

Massive Payroll Manipulation

The NSS scandal extends far beyond a single instance of identity fraud. Investigators uncovered:

– Thousands of ghost workers, including individuals listed as over 80 or 90 years old.
– One name appearing 226 times in the database.
– A headcount showing 81,885 fewer legitimate workers than claimed.
– Estimated financial losses of GH₵513.7 million in the 2023/2024 period alone.

In response, the Ghanaian government has initiated an official probe. President John Mahama has ordered a comprehensive review of the payroll system to address the irregularities and curb further losses.