County gets Sh1b loan to pay workers
What you need to know:
- The Kenya County Government Workers Union last week gave the county an ultimatum to settle the arrears by Tuesday or it would mobilise its members to paralyse county services on Wednesday.
- Nairobi County attorney Tom Ojienda also requested for the committal to civil jail of CBK directors and those of KRA who made the transactions despite an existing court order barring such a move.
The Nairobi County Government has received Sh1.021 billion advance loan from the national treasury to pay April salaries for its workers in a bid to avert a planned strike on Wednesday.
The Kenya County Government Workers Union last week gave the county an ultimatum to settle the arrears by Tuesday or it would mobilise its members to paralyse county services on Wednesday.
Speaking to Nation on Tuesday, the county executive for finance Gregory Mwakanogo said that they had secured the advance loan following negotiations with the Treasury.
“The workers are being paid today and tomorrow we will have sorted all of them after we got an advance from Treasury,” said Mr Mwakanongo.
On Monday, City Hall moved to court seeking an order to compel Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to reverse the Sh1.7 billion which was erroneously transferred directly to it by Central Bank.
NOT PAID
Nairobi County attorney Tom Ojienda also requested for the committal to civil jail of CBK directors and those of KRA who made the transactions despite an existing court order barring such a move.
“In disobedience of the court order made for City Hall, KRA transferred salary of Nairobi City County employees for the month of April hence we are looking for alternative ways to pay them," said Prof Ojienda.
However the Kenya County Government Workers Union, Nairobi Branch Chairperson Bernard Inyangala said that they have not received the money and that they had no communication from the county and thus insisting their planned strike was still on.
“We will be paralysing services at City Hall if the money is not deposited…so far we are still waiting and see what will happen,” said Mr Inyangala.
WORKERS’ WELFARE
The county has over 13,000 workers with a wage bill of Sh1.3 billion.
Mr Inyangala said that the fight between the county and the tax man was affecting the welfare of workers who have no part in the dispute.
He termed the move by CBK and KRA as unfair explaining that the county is also owed billions of shillings.
However, the Nairobi Branch KMPDU secretary general Thuranira Kaugiria lashed at the county for using the impasse stating that it should have paid taxes and not dangle workers’ salaries to the KRA.
