By TWV Investigations Desk
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja is facing accusations of sponsoring a trip to Dubai for officials of the Kenya County Government Workers Union in a bid to forestall a looming strike over delayed salaries.
The union had on 17th September issued a statement castigating City Hall for failing to pay July and August salaries, despite an earlier return-to-work deal that assured staff there would be no delays.
“Following a five-day pay parade due to perennial salary delays, on 11th August 2025 the union signed a Return-to-Work Formula with the county management which, among other things, committed that salaries henceforth would be paid by the 5th of every month,” the union said in a statement.
“It is 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 of when the salaries will be paid. This is a gross contravention of the Return-to-Work agreement,” it added. The delays have severely disrupted county workers’ ability to report to duty, pay bills, and support their families.
Chief of Staff Godfrey Akumali has blamed the National Treasury, citing the late release of the equitable share of national revenue due to the county. “This is to notify all staff that the payment of August 2025 salaries will be delayed due to the late release of the equitable share disbursement from the National Treasury,” he said in a memo to employees.
According to a staff member, while most workers have received their July salaries, they have been assured that August pay will reflect in their accounts by 5th October. Behind the scenes, Governor Sakaja is said to have worked overtime to avert a strike, including providing an all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai for union officials, according to a source at City Hall. The governor, who recently survived an impeachment bid, is also alleged to have spent substantial sums to secure the loyalty of at least 60 Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) and an influential political figure.
Despite these efforts, Sakaja has not prevented strikes by certain cadres of staff, including nurses and medical laboratory workers, who are demanding three months’ salary arrears as well as remittance of statutory deductions such as the housing levy and Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) contributions.
Officials of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Nairobi branch lamented that despite being the backbone of the healthcare system, they are unable to feed their families, afford transport to work, even in emergencies, or meet other financial obligations.
City Hall has long grappled with a ballooning wage bill, worsened by mass recruitment during Sakaja’s tenure. According to Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, the wage bill has now risen to KSh17.3 billion.
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