Parliament Staff Audit Raises Ghost Worker and Recruitment Concerns

What the report says

Parliament has completed a staff verification and validation exercise after receiving a one-day extension, according to the Nile Post report. The process was carried out by an independent committee from the Public Service Commission and has triggered fresh questions about recruitment practices, payroll records and the possibility of unverified employees on the parliamentary payroll.

Sources cited by the publication said some workers did not show up for the exercise, while others reportedly arrived without academic documents. That has left their employment status unresolved for now, pending the committee’s final findings. The report also says some staff members told police their documents had been lost or stolen, though the outcome of those claims was not immediately clear.

The concerns have prompted calls from some members of Parliament for disciplinary action against staff whose qualifications or records cannot be confirmed. Legislators also raised broader worries about favoritism and alleged nepotism in recruitment, saying some recent hires may have had ties to senior officials, judges, ministers, MPs or influential business figures. These claims, as reported, were made by unnamed sources and lawmakers and have not yet been independently verified.

More broadly, the episode has renewed scrutiny of how Parliament recruits and vets staff, and whether its internal safeguards are strong enough to prevent irregular hiring or conflicts of interest. The final verification report is expected to determine which staff can be confirmed and whether further action is needed.