Nairobi workers threaten strike over pay, deductions
Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) Secretary-General Roba Duba.
City Hall workers have given the Nairobi County government 21 days to remit more than Sh560 million in salaries and statutory deductions or they will down their tools.
The more than 12,000 employees have accused Governor Ann Kananu’s administration of diverting the funds to unauthorised expenditures.
The diverted funds include statutory deductions and union dues amounting to Sh490.47 million for October to December 2021, as well as staff claims for January this year, totalling Sh70 million.
Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) secretary-general Roba Duba said county officials have three weeks to remit all the deductions or employees will resort to industrial action.
He accused City Hall of failing to remit the statutory deductions and union dues despite making a requisition to the Controller of Budget.
He explained that failure to remit the deductions had exposed workers to untold suffering, with those servicing bank loans being penalised for actions beyond their control.
Call for probe
Meanwhile, the union has called for investigations and an audit of the county government’s expenditure in the period under focus.
KCGWU Nairobi staff branch secretary Festus Ngari, in a January 26 letter, called on Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o to investigate and audit the work plans for October, November and December 2021 to ascertain that public money was used prudently.
The union also asked Dr Nyakang’o not to release any money to the county government until the workers are paid in full.
Mr Ngari said the diversion of funds has resulted in the county employees’ money being frozen by different financial institutions besides being charged exorbitant penalties for defaulting on their loans.
