By Our Reporter
A scandal is brewing at City Hall in Nairobi after it emerged that Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakango had approved the release of funds to settle third-party contributions for July and August salaries, yet workers have not received payment.
Currently, nurses and laboratory technicians are on strike, claiming they cannot access treatment due to arrears owed to the Social Health Authority (SHA). They argue that it is unreasonable to provide health services to the public while being unable to access them oneself.
According to reliable sources at City Hall, the Johnson Sakaja-led county government had submitted a request seeking Nyakango’s approval for the release of money to pay August and September salaries and to offset arrears owed to SHA, as well as the housing levy, among other statutory deductions.
However, on Friday, the CoB rejected the request, stating that she had already approved the release of the money long ago and was only expecting a request for funds to pay September salaries.
Workers are now questioning where the money was diverted, as they continue to grapple with unpaid rent, credit distress, unfulfilled financial obligations, and, in some cases, the inability to afford meals or transport to work.
“Sakaja should come out and tell us what our money was spent on and how he plans to pay us and SHA. Right now, if you get sick, you can’t go for treatment, both in public and private hospitals, since the contributions are not up to date,” Kenya National Union of Nurses, Nairobi branch Deputy Secretary George Ndekeo told The Weekly Vision.
The situation has been worsened by the fact that private facilities are currently not attending to patients insured by SHA over a KSh 72 billion debt, instead demanding cash payments.
Recently, it also emerged that Sakaja sponsored a trip to Dubai for officials of the Kenya County Government Workers Union, Nairobi branch, in an apparent attempt to forestall a major strike over delayed salaries.
On 17 September, the union castigated City Hall for failing to pay August salaries, despite an earlier return-to-work agreement that assured staff there would be no further delays.
“Following a five-day pay parade due to perennial salary delays, on 11 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 17 September 2025, Nairobi county staff are yet to receive their third-party remittances for July 2025 and August 2025 salaries, with no signs of when the salaries will be paid. This is a gross contravention of the return-to-work agreement,” it added.
Before Nyakango’s latest revelation, Chief of Staff Godfrey Akumali had blamed the National Treasury for the delay, citing the late release of the equitable share of national revenue to the city county government.
“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.
We could not immediately establish the truth of this position, as Nyakango and the National Treasury have previously engaged in blame games over who bears responsibility for the delays.
What raises further questions, however, is why City Hall submitted fresh requests if the delays were indeed due to the National Treasury.
