• Malombe who was sworn into office on August 25 had promised that staff salaries would be paid latest by date 30 of every month.
• He said prompt salary payments was among the things he was keen to accomplish inside 100 days of his taking office.
Image: MUSEMBI NZENGU
Kitui Governor Julius Malombe has earned accolades from the county workers unions for prompt payment of August salaries.
Workers received the funds in their accounts by August 30, days after he assumed office.
Malombe who was sworn into office on August 25 had promised that staff salaries would be paid latest by date 30 of every month.
He said prompt salary payments was among the things he was keen to accomplish inside 100 days of his taking office.
The governor said just like it was the case when he was the pioneer governor in 2013 to 2017, workers’ salary delays would be a thing of the past.
On Sunday, Kitui Kenya National Union of Nurses secretary Newton Kimanzi said all employees were pleasantly surprised that they had been paid salaries by August 30.
He said it was only days after the governor was sworn into office on August 25.
“It is an indication of the start of good tidings for the workers. We are happy for being paid on time as the governor promised, he has kept his word," Kimanzi said.
The official said it was a welcome shift from the past when month end would come and workers would not be paid promptly.
He said workers would always be told to be patient as their salaries were being pursued from the office of the controller of budget.
“The fact that he ensured prompt payment of salaries is a sign of good things to come. It is a mystery where he got the money that fast. Previously we were faced with long salary delays,” Kimanzi said.
He said trade unions officials representing a cross section of workers in the health sector and the Kenya civil servants union, held a meeting in Mwingi on Saturday and expressed gratitude to magnanimity by the governor.
Kimanzi said the union officials resolved that county workers should be available and ready to help Malombe to implement his progressive manifesto to the latter.
Separately, Kitui branch County Government Workers Union chairman Timothy Mbuvi said county workers were happy to have received their August salaries.
“Things were tough during the previous regime, for example, we were paid our last July salaries on August 15,” he said.
Mbuvi said workers have confidence in Malombe’s leadership.
“The communication that the governor wants to have a catch up meeting with all Kitui county workers on September 12 is most welcome. He has showed us he values workers and is ready to work with them,” he said.
The chairman said about 90 per cents of workers in Kitui had previously worked under Malombe.
“We are happy he is back. He is a no nonsense professional who is a stickler for legality and policy. He would always act according to the law,” he said.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)