Governors demand quick resolution of payroll system issues amid delayed December salaries
The county leaders pointed to discrepancies in the newly upgraded payroll system, which have led to delays in the disbursement of December salaries.
The Council of Governors has called for urgent intervention from the national government to address delays in processing December salaries for county government employees.
In a letter dated December 20, 2024, addressed to Public Service Principal Secretary Amos Gathecha, the governors raised concerns over a series of issues arising from recent payroll system upgrades.
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The county leaders pointed to discrepancies in the newly upgraded payroll system, which have led to delays in the disbursement of December salaries.
They specifically requested Gathecha's office to clarify workers' leave entitlements and allowances that were affected by the mass data update.
The governors also asked for a detailed explanation of how these changes would impact the payment of these benefits.
The letter also highlighted systemic challenges related to Pay As You Earn (PAYE) deductions, the Housing Levy, and the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), which were recently flagged by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
Inflated deductions
According to the governors, errors in the new system have led to significant discrepancies, including inflated PAYE deductions, which have further complicated the salary processing.
"The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to request the State Department for Public Service to fast-track and resolve the above issues and any other errors in the system to enable smooth payment of the salaries for county staff," the letter read in part.
The payroll issues arose following the government's announcement on November 28, 2024, that it was upgrading its workers' payroll system from the outdated Integrated Personal Payroll Database (IPPD) to the more modern Human Resource Information System (HRIS).
This overhaul, intended to streamline government payroll management, has affected ministries, departments, and agencies across the country.
In a memo to all government departments, the Ministry of Public Service acknowledged the delays caused by the system upgrade and informed employees that November salaries would be processed late.
The memo urged civil servants to be patient, as the transition to HRIS had created temporary disruptions in salary processing.
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