A new motion has been introduced at the Nairobi City County Assembly, seeking to compel employees who have not taken annual leave for the past four to six years to go on compulsory leave. The proposal, presented by Majority Leader Peter Imwatok, addresses the county’s ballooning wage bill, which has been worsened by employees avoiding leave to retain various perks and allowances.
The motion comes as a response to a report by Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o, which revealed that the county spent a staggering Ksh 18 billion on employee compensation in the last financial year, leaving little room for development expenditure. Imwatok warned that the growing wage bill is severely crippling the county’s operations and development agenda, calling for urgent reforms.
“The wage bill is choking the county’s ability to deliver services and invest in key development projects,” Imwatok said, stressing that immediate action is necessary to address the issue. He further highlighted that some senior officials in both the County Executive and County Assembly have not taken leave for as long as six years. Despite accumulating leave days, some employees have opted not to seek compensation, with a few even being suspected of being ghost workers.
“We receive funds from the Controller of Budget every week, but they are not enough to run the county effectively. Every week, the Finance CEC has to borrow money to pay salaries and allowances. This practice must stop. We are breeding corruption because some officials are afraid to miss out on deals while they are on leave. This must end,” Imwatok emphasized.
The motion also proposes the enforcement of the mandatory retirement age of 60 for all county employees. Imwatok stated that those who have reached retirement age should vacate their positions to allow space for younger professionals. “Once you turn 60, you should go on terminal leave and prepare to hand over your responsibilities. We will not allow any violation of this law for the sake of any individual,” he added.
Among those potentially affected by the motion is a senior official at the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, who has reportedly reached the age of 60 and is seeking an extension of their term.
The Controller of Budget’s report also revealed alarming details about the county’s financial health. Out of the Ksh 31 billion withdrawn from the County Revenue Fund (CRF) last financial year, only Ksh 2.7 billion was allocated to development projects. The majority of the funds, Ksh 18 billion, went toward employee compensation, while Ksh 9.93 billion was spent on operations and maintenance.
In a concerning trend, the county’s wage bill increased by Ksh 6.97 billion from the previous year, primarily due to pension arrears of Ksh 1.69 billion, staff promotions, and the recruitment of additional personnel, including medical staff, enforcement officers, and members of the Green Army.
The report also highlighted significant expenditure on travel, with Ksh 861 million spent on domestic trips and Ksh 328 million on foreign travel, despite the county’s financial strain. Officials have been forced to borrow from a local bank to meet salary obligations and maintain operations, further worsening the fiscal crisis.
The motion introduced by Imwatok aims to tackle these challenges head-on, with hopes of alleviating the fiscal burden while ensuring better governance and accountability within the county.
