Samburu, Laikipia counties yet to pay November salaries

More than 2,000 Samburu County employees and 1,600 others from Laikipia County have not received their November salaries.

Acting Samburu Governor Julius Leseeto told the Nation that the Finance department has made a requisition for salaries, but the Treasury is yet to respond.

 “We have done our requisition. The only thing holding us is the delay form the Treasury,” said Mr Leseeto.

 Laikipia Finance Minister Muruingi Ndai did not respond to our telephone calls.

A number of Nakuru County staff told the Nation that they received their salaries between November 24 and 26.

“We received our salaries last week,” said an employee who sought anonymity. Finance Executive Peter Ketyenya confirmed that they had paid November salaries.

 “We have a policy to pay our employees by the 26th of every month. Nakuru County government employees received their salaries last week,” Dr Ketyenya told the Nation.

 Nakuru has at least 5,000 staff on its payroll, most of whom were inherited from the defunct Municipal Council.

 The devolved unit has been grappling with an ever burgeoning wage bill, which currently stands at Sh6 billion and gobbles up more 50 per cent of the county’s annual budget.

 In Nyandarua, Union officials confirmed that all the workers were paid their salaries by November 29.

 In Narok County, executive officer for Finance Morgana Siloma said the county owes its employees no salary arrears.  However, some workers said they were yet to receive their November salaries.

 "We're still waiting to see if the county will pay our November salaries,” an employee said.

 Reporting by Francis Mureithi, Eric Matara, Steve Njuguna, Waikwa Maina and George Sayagie