Cash Crisis: Counties yet to pay November salaries for employees

County government workers are yet to receive their November salaries due to a delay in appointment of a substantive controller of budget.

Additionally, the failure to extend the interim mandate for the acting controller of budget Stephen Masha and subsequent delay in swearing in of the Margaret Nyakang’o as the new controller of budget.

This has made it impossible for county governments to draw funds from their revenue accounts meaning that the 47 county governments have not received their monthly disbursement of Ksh.31.6 billion which was legally due on November, 15 2019.

As a result, devolved units have been unable to fulfill their financial obligations, which includes November salaries to thousands of county workers, statutory deductions and payment of pending bills to suppliers.

Governors now want the process of clearing the controller of budget fast-tracked.

Nyakang’o was nominated by President Uhuru Kenyatta on November 19, 2019 and is up for vetting by the National Assembly.

If approved, Nyakang’o will be in charge of controls for withdrawals from the public kitty as well as manage counties’ funds.

A similar situation was witnessed in August when county government workers on Tuesday threatened to down their tools over delayed salaries.

Four trade unions including Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union (KMPDU), Kenya County Workers Union, the Union of the Kenya Civil Servants and the Kenya Union of Nurses have given county governments an ultimatum to pay their members salaries failure to which they would withdraw their services.

This follows a stalemate between the Senate and the National Assembly over the Ksh.316.5 billion allocation to county governments.

The National Assembly had stuck to a Ksh.316.5 billion allocation to counties while the Senate insisted that the devolved units be given Ksh.335.6 billion.