County unable to pay contractors

Nairobi County will not pay contractors and suppliers unless the national government increases its budget allocation citing a huge wage bill.

Some of the contractors have not been paid by the county since 2013 leading to frequent protests by contractors in the city.

The county government is set to receive Sh16.42 billion as national government allocation for the 2016/17 budget to fund its Sh36billion budget up from last year’s allocation of Sh13.8billion.

“If you want the contractors to be paid let the national government add the county more money because what we receive is not enough,” said Deputy Governor Jonathan Mueke.

Mr Mueke said that the county government inherited 7,000 employees and has also employed almost the same number pushing the wage bill from Sh650 million per month to Sh1.1 billion.

He said that the Sh14 billion from the national government for the employees of the county was little hence hard to clear debts.

However, Mr Mueke defended the finance department saying that the county has no money to pay the contractors.

The most affected department is the environment sector where private garbage contractors are yet to be paid Sh40 million while the health sector department is unable to clear a Sh108million debt owed to Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).

Matumishi Wireless Services is yet to be paid over Sh10 million after installing street lights in the city.

Nairobi county government is also yet to pay the youths who participated in the beautification of the city last year as the country hosted US President Barrack Obama.