Pain as county staff go for months without salaries
The National Treasury Building in Nairobi. Delayed disbursements by Treasury have been blamed for nonpayment of county staff salaries
Thousands of county government workers across the country are in distress after going up to three months without salaries, with many of the devolved units blaming delays in disbursements from the National Treasury.
In July, Treasury did not send any equitable share to counties according to a report from the Exchequer. Counties heavily rely on the equitable share to pay salaries, fund development projects and settle bills owed to contractors.
In Tana River County, many government offices remain deserted as employees turn to side hustles to make ends meet. Workers there have not been paid for the third month in a row.
“My savings are gone. I can’t borrow from the bank because of pending loans, and my friends are also struggling. For the past month, I’ve been relying on my relatives for upkeep,” said one official who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Another worker admitted to sneaking out of the office to attend to her boutique in Garsen town.
“My needs won’t wait for the government to pay me. If I sit in the office the whole day, I’ll go home to hungry children. My business is the only thing sustaining me,” she said.
Another worker said his landlord had run out of patience with his excuses over rent.
The cash crisis has crippled service delivery, leaving residents wandering through empty offices.
“Even senior officials have chosen absence over frustration,” said Hola resident Omar Hamisi.
In a memo to employees, Public Service, Administration and ICT Executive Abdulahi Hanti said the delays were caused by the protracted implementation of the 2025/2026 budget.
“The County Assembly approved the budget on July 31, clearance was granted by the Controller of Budget on August 27, and the upload on IFMIS was done on September 1,” the memo stated. He expressed hope that salaries for July and August would be paid by September 12.
A similar situation is unfolding in Taita-Taveta, where more than 3,000 employees remain unpaid for July and August. A memo dated September 5 from County Secretary Friday Mwafuga assured staff that July salaries would be processed by September 10, pending clearance from Treasury and the Controller of Budget.
The county, burdened by a bloated wage bill, has previously resorted to bank overdrafts to meet payroll obligations. In the 2025/2026 budget, the county allocated Sh3.4 billion of its Sh7.8 billion budget to salaries—well above the recommended threshold.
Employees in Kirinyaga County have also not received their July and August pay.
“This will not be the first time our children are sent home. We are tired of such suffering. Our landlords have given us until September 10 to clear arrears or be evicted,” said one worker.
Sources in the county’s finance department confirmed that Treasury delays had left them unable to process salaries.
In Turkana and Trans Nzoia, staff have also gone for two months without pay, surviving on credit, informal loans and side hustles. Finance Executive Roseline Aite had not communicated a payment date or explained the cause of the delays by press time.
“So far, we have only received one Exchequer disbursement for July, which has severely impacted operations,” a senior finance official admitted, adding that approvals and a transition to a new financial system had compounded the problem.
Nyeri County employees were paid their June and July salaries two weeks ago, while August pay was scheduled for September 8.
In Kisumu, the employees are still waiting for their July and August salaries, with no official communication on when to expect payment.
Nakuru County Secretary Dr Samuel Mwaura confirmed that a three-month backlog had finally been cleared last week.
“I had to borrow from a shylock to survive. It was tough,” said a nurse at a public hospital.
Narok Deputy Governor Tamalinye Koech defended the administration, saying the transition to a new government system had delayed operations, including payment of salaries.
“The county is not deliberately withholding workers’ dues,” he said.
But county workers threatened to go on strike, accusing the administration of reneging on promises of timely salaries, regularised allowances and better communication.
“Salary payments have not been made on time, a situation that has caused significant financial and emotional suffering,” said Joshua Ole Koisikir, Narok branch secretary of the County Government Workers Union.
In Bomet, County Secretary Simon Langat confirmed that Treasury had released funds last Friday and promised that two months’ worth of salaries would reflect in accounts between yesterday and today.
“We were expecting to be paid last week, but the timelines were pushed to this week. Hope is wearing thin, with landlords and creditors on our necks,” one senior employee said.
By mid-afternoon yesterday, many employees reported that the money had yet to reflect in their accounts, fuelling further anxiety.
The Nation has established that many other counties are yet to pay August salaries. Only devolved units with overdraft arrangements with banks have managed to keep workers’ pay flowing.
Reporting by Stephen Oduor, Lucy Mkanyika, Francis Mureithi, Tobby Messo, Vitalis Kimutai, George Munene, Mwangi Ndirangu, Joseph Kanyi, George Odiwuor, Rushdie Oudia, Sammy Lutta and Evans Jaola.
