This archive report was first published on 12 August 2019.
Kenya is bracing for a strike in 20 counties as workers demand their delayed July salaries. The Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) has given the counties an ultimatum, warning that workers will go on strike from today if their salaries are not paid.
According to KCGWU Secretary General Roba Duba, the counties have not shown any effort to engage the grassroots shop stewards to find a solution to the impasse. Duba confirmed that 23 counties, including Kakamega, have paid up, but workers in other counties are yet to receive any communication on when they will be paid.
Counties that have not paid their workers include Murang’a, Laikipia, Isiolo, Marsabit, Kitui, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Bungoma, and Kisumu. Other counties that have not paid their workers include Taita Taveta, Kericho, Elegeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, Nakuru, Baringo, Samburu, Embu, Homa Bay, Nyeri, and Machakos.
However, some counties have initiated talks with the union, with a commitment to pay by close of business tomorrow. Machakos County has already processed the July salaries for all employees and the money will be wired to their accounts this week.
Duba alleged that some counties gave flimsy reasons for the salaries delay. He cited an example of Kisumu County, where the outgoing County Secretary had not handed over, and another county where the official responsible for signing documents to process the money was away.
He noted that governors might be using county workers as a bargaining chip to push the National Assembly to allocate more funds to the counties. A fallout with the National Assembly over the Division of Revenue Bill 2019 has seen governors proceed to court, seeking that more funds be added to the Sh316 billion allocated.
“If that is the case, it was ill-conceived and unfortunately, it has not worked,” said Duba. “CoG is not an employer, but they have taken up human resource functions, which are supposed to be handled by the county secretaries. It is unlawful.”
