Governor Johnson Sakaja blames Treasury for delayed county salaries
Governor Johnson Sakaja said the county has not received its equitable share for the past two months, forcing a reliance on local revenue that is insufficient to cover payroll.
Governor Johnson Sakaja has placed the blame for the delayed salaries of Nairobi County workers squarely on the National Treasury, citing late disbursements as the main reason for payment disruptions.
Speaking on Thursday morning during a Radio Jambo interview, Sakaja said the county has not received its equitable share for the past two months, forcing a reliance on local revenue that is insufficient to cover payroll.
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"The salaries for this month were delayed because Nairobi County receives an equitable share and also generates its own revenue. So we have not received the equitable share for two months," Sakaja said.
The governor explained that while the county has been using its own-source revenue to pay staff, the approach is unsustainable without timely transfers from the national government. He assured residents that he had met with Treasury officials, who promised that the pending funds would be released soon.
"I talked to the treasury officials, and they assured me that they will release the money. They informed me that they were still addressing an international debt and that the money would be released anytime," Sakaja said.
He stressed that Nairobi County has never experienced salary delays exceeding one month in the past and emphasised that timely disbursements from the National Treasury are critical for meeting payroll.
"These salary delays can only be solved if our own source revenue surpasses the amount we receive as an equitable share," he added.
The remarks come a day after the Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGU) criticised the county for failing to honour the Return-to-Work agreement signed on August 11, 2025.
Led by Nairobi branch Secretary Calvince Okello, the union said delayed salaries have left employees struggling to meet their financial obligations.
"It's quite unfortunate that today, being the 17th of September, 2025, Nairobi county staff are yet to receive their third-party remittances of July 2025 and August 2025 salaries, and there are no signs when the salaries will be paid. This is a gross contravention of the Return to Work agreement," the union stated.
Sakaja urged workers to remain patient while awaiting the release of the equitable share, while reiterating his commitment to ensuring timely salary payments once funds are received.
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