Executive delays salaries to intimidate us: Murang'a MCAs

Kimorori Wempa MCA Amos Murigi on January 5, 2018. He has expressed concern over the delay in paying Murang'a County Assembly members. PHOTO | ERIC WAINAINA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • They say their October and November 2017 salaries were delayed, and they are yet to receive their December 2017 pay.

Murang’a MCAs have protested against the county for not paying their December salaries.

They accused the executive of withholding funds to intimidate them.

LATE PAY

MCAs received their October salaries on November 21, while November salaries were paid on December 16, they said.

According to Kimorori Wempa MCA Amos Murigi, members are suffering and most of them have had to borrow money to pay their children’s school fees.

The MCA, who was elected the majority leader in a meeting that turned chaotic at Sahara West in Kiambu on January 5, said county assembly members are unable to service their loans while others have received eviction notices from their landlords.

“We are suffering in silence. We have resulted to borrowing since we have not received salaries, which is our right,” said Mr Murigi.

DISAGREEMENTS

There are fears that the delay could have been engineered by the Executive due to the bad blood between the two arms of government.

Members have replaced the assembly leadership, whose positions were occupied by Governor Mwangi wa Iria’s supporters.

But Mr Murigi said the members will not be intimidated and would continue to express their concerns in the running of the Assembly.

“Our friends from the other county assemblies received their salaries on January 3 but ours have been withheld. The Finance department says that it is the Treasury that has not remitted the money yet other county staff have been paid. We feel there is more than meets the eye,” the MCA told the Nation.

CONCERN

However Murang’a Finance executive David Waweru said they are yet to receive December salaries from the exchequer.

He refuted claims that the delay is as a result of the feud between the two arms of government, saying officers from his department are still pursuing the matter at the Office of the Controller of Budget.

Asked whether the county government staff have received their salaries as claimed by Mr Murigi, the CEC said when a delay occurs, the concerned departments usually make local arrangements to cater for the salaries.

“The Assembly is allowed to make local arrangements to facilitate members’ salaries before the exchequer releases the money,” Mr Waweru told Nation.

Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata has written to the Controller of Budget seeking clarification on why the employees and the Assembly members have not received their December salaries.