City workers demand two months salary arrears

The Kenya County Government Workers Union has raised concerns over failure by the Nairobi City County government to pay its employees’ salaries for two months despite getting approval to spend Sh2.2 billion on salaries.

Last week the Controller of Budget had given the go ahead to Nairobi County to withdraw Sh2.2 billion from the county revenue fund account to pay September and October salaries but instead only cleared September salaries.

The county’s monthly wage bill is Sh1.1 billion.

“We are just concerned why the county failed to pay salaries for two months yet the cash had been released. These people are jokers,” said Mr Benson Olianga, the union’s secretary.

SEPTEMBER PAY

The over 13,000 workers received September salaries on October 31, with City Hall saying that the treasury had failed to remit funds on time.

Mr Olianga said that they are expecting salaries to be paid by November 6 since the money is already at the county’s treasury.

The branch secretary has been at loggerheads with Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and was last week accused of soliciting a bribe from the governor’s aide in a bid to call of a strike by workers demanding for their salaries.

ASKARIS ARRESTED

He has now renewed his rivalry with the governor after seven city inspectorate officers were arrested and charged with robbery with violence.

“The governor should stop harassing staff. We demand the immediate release of officers who on Sunday were arrested in possession of crude weapons,” said Mr Olinga.

He argued that the governor should have investigated if the crude weapons were confiscated from the hawkers as the city askaris were not caught committing a crime.