From garbage piling on major sidewalks and markets left unattended to, Nairobi residents should expect a worsening disruption of services over sustained salary delays.
At the heart of the crisis is a massive payroll expansion that has strained the county's ability to meet its wage obligations.
County workers complain that their July and August salaries are yet to hit their accounts even as Auditor General Nancy Gathungu's latest report says the devolved unit's wage bill has reached an unprecedented Sh17 billion due to an unchecked hiring spree over the last three years.
Their workers' union has asked them not to show up at work and if they go, their delivery must be minimal and on a go-slow.
According to the Auditor General’s special audit, the number of City Hall employees surged from 5,777 in June 2022 to 16,321 by June 2024—nearly tripling in just two years. Over the same period, the wage bill ballooned by 188.6 per cent, rising from Sh6 billion to Sh17.3 billion annually.
The sharpest increase came in the 2022/2023 financial year, when staff levels more than doubled to 13,355 and payroll costs jumped to Sh11.18 billion—an 86.4 per cent increase.
The audit raised concerns about fiscal sustainability, noting that by June 2024, salaries consumed 55.9 per cent of Nairobi’s total revenue, well above the 35 per cent limit set by the Public Finance Management (County Governments) Regulations, 2015.
This financial pressure has resulted in prolonged salary delays.
On Wednesday, the Kenya County Government Workers Union instructed the county employees to slow down services or remain at home until their dues are paid.
The directive followed what the union described as a gross violation of a return-to-work agreement signed on August 11, after an earlier strike.
“It’s quite unfortunate that today, September 17, Nairobi county staff are yet to receive their third-party remittances of July and August 2025 salaries and there are no signs when the salaries will be paid,” said KCGWU in a letter addressed to Governor Johnson Sakaja.
Calvince Okello, the union’s Nairobi branch secretary, said many workers have been unable to report to duty due to financial constraints.
He referenced a county circular dated September 9 that acknowledged the issue but offered no clear timelines.
The letter was copied to senior county officials, including the county secretary and the CEC for Finance, as well as the entire county workforce.
The union, affiliated with Cotu and the Public Services International, warned that the county’s failure to honour its obligations is pushing staff into financial distress.
In a separate communication, acting county secretary Godfrey Akumali attributed the delays to late disbursements from the National Treasury, noting that Nairobi—like other counties—has struggled with cash flow since July.
He assured staff that the matter was being treated with “the highest priority.”
However, the Auditor General’s report suggests the problem goes beyond remittance delays. When he took office, Sakaja prioritised converting casuals into permanent employees and hiring new staff.
While aimed at improving service delivery, the move has stretched resources amid persistently low own-source revenue, averaging Sh10.8 billion over the past two financial years.
The audit also raised concerns over potential ghost workers. It found that 27 individuals who collectively earned Sh47.5 million between June 2022 and June 2023 were flagged for physical verification in December 2024, raising doubts about payroll integrity.
Instant Analysis
As essential services across the capital grind to a halt, Nairobi residents now face the real-world consequences of a bloated payroll and strained finances. With salary arrears growing and service delivery stalling, pressure is mounting on county leadership to prioritise financial discipline—or risk losing control of the country’s most important urban centre.
