Services paralysed at City Hall as workers strike

Operations have been paralysed at City Hall after hundreds of Nairobi City County workers went on strike to demand their salaries.

The employees picketed outside the county headquarters on Wednesday, chanting songs in support of Mike Sonko, the city county senator eyeing the governor's seat.

GARBAGE

There were heaps of uncollected garbage outside City Hall Annex, indicating that cleaners were among those who had boycotted work.

Kenya County Workers Union Secretary-General Bernard Inyangala said employees in the parking and licencing departments and at City Mortuary were participating in the industrial action.

This means Nairobi motorists are likely to park their vehicles for free in parts of the city during the strike.

Doctors and nurses, Mr Inyangala said, will join the industrial action on Thursday.

But County Secretary Robert Ayisi described the picketing as “illegal and pointless”.

SH1.02 BILLION

On Tuesday, Dr Ayisi confirmed the city had received Sh1.02 billion from the Treasury to pay the workers’ April salaries.

He said Wednesday the money had been remitted to Cooperative Bank.

“Staff who have accounts in Cooperative Bank and Nacico will receive their salaries today in their bank accounts while those in other banks will receive theirs tomorrow,” he said.

He urged the employees to go back to work, saying “there is no cause for alarm and unnecessary picketing".