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Crisis looms in nearly half of Kenya’s county governments as workers prepare to down their tools over unpaid salaries

Council of Governors
  • Starting Wednesday, at least 20 counties risk total paralysis in operations once its employees down their tools in protest over delays in payment of their July salary.
  • The workers have vowed to disrupt normal operations by engaging in pay-parade and go-slow in the devolved units until their dues are fully paid.
  • Counties to be affected include Kitui, Machakos, Embu, Meru, Bungoma, Nakuru, Elgeyo Marakwet, Tharaka Nithi, Isiolo and Marsabit.

Business is set to grind to a halt in nearly half of Kenya’s county governments as county workers are preparing to down their tools over unpaid salaries.

Starting Wednesday 14th, at least 20 counties risk total paralysis in operations once its employees down their tools in protest over delays in payment of their July salary.

The workers have vowed to disrupt normal operations by engaging in pay-parade and go-slow in the devolved units until their dues are fully paid.

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Doctors and nurses are among those to expected to boycott work, meaning hospitals will be paralysed.

Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) Secretary General Roba Duba said the 20 counties had not shown any effort to engage the grassroots shop stewards to find a solution to the impasse.

“We are warning all the counties which have not paid their workers by the end of Tuesday that they shall face total paralysis starting Wednesday morning,” said Mr. Duba as reported by Business Daily.

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Should you seek any public services in any of the counties set to go on strike you are likely to find closed doors. 

Counties to be affected include Kitui, Machakos, Embu, Meru, Bungoma, Nakuru, Elgeyo Marakwet, Tharaka Nithi, Isiolo and Marsabit.

Others are West Pokot, Kisumu, Baringo, Samburu, Kericho, Homa Bay, Nyeri, Murang’a, Laikipia and Taita Taveta.

These counties have not paid and have not shown any indication of an intention to pay.

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They are rogue counties and from Wednesday, there is going to be total paralysis of services rendered by our members there,” he said.

Mr Duba, however, confirmed that 23 counties-including Kakamega, whose Governor Wycliffe Oparanya is the Council of Governors Chairman, had paid up by Sunday.

Counties are short of cash following delays in approving two Bills that provide for sharing of national revenues between the devolved units and the central government as well as the proposed law that guides revenue share among the 47 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.

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