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Kisumu County mobilizes Sh300mn to clear July salaries for striking staff

Impeached County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Finance, Nerry Achar (pictured), told journalists on Thursday the decision was arrived at following negotiations between the County Treasury and National Treasury and the Office of the Controller of Budget./FILE – COURTESY

KISUMU, Kenya, Aug 15 – The County Government of Kisumu will now pay its workers the delayed July salaries after mobilizing Sh300 million from its reserves.

Impeached County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Finance, Nerry Achar, told journalists on Thursday the decision was arrived at following negotiations between the County Treasury and National Treasury and the Office of the Controller of Budget.

Achar urged striking workers to resume work and help serve the people of Kisumu promising the salaries will reflect in their accounts by Friday.

“Let striking workers resume their jobs and offer services to the people, their salary will be in their accounts as from tomorrow,” he said.

Achar spoke as Kisumu Senator Fred Outa asked Governor Anyang Nyong’o to dismiss Achar following his impeachment on Tuesday.

Outa said Achar should cease speaking as the CEC Member in charge of Finance after he was found unfit to hold office.

“This is an opportunity for Governor Nyong’o to pick another CEC Member for Finance and he should know that at no time will Achar appear before the Senate to answer questions since he has been impeached,” he said.

He said workers in the county failed to get their salaries in time due to incompetence exhibited by Achar.

Senator Outa appealed to the County Assembly to convene as early as possible to partially pass the 2019/20 budget to allow workers to get their salaries.

“It’s my plea to Speaker Onyango Oloo to ensure by next week the Assembly convenes a special sitting to dispense with the budget for the sake of workers, ” he said.

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Outa said the budget stalemate was derailing the county development agenda.

37 Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) voted to impeach Achar against 3 who opposed the censure motion on Tuesday.

READ: Kisumu Finance Executive impeached as order restraining House debate lapses

The Kisumu County Assembly on Wednesday adjourned a sitting convened for the debate of the 2019/20 budget after the House was informed the budget document was not ready for tabling.

A Member of County Assembly (MCA) who spoke to Capital FM News on condition of anonymity said the budget is ready, but they are holding it until Governor Anyang Nyong’o acts on the resolution of the House to impeach Finance CEC Achar.

READ: Kisumu Assembly adjourns budget approval sitting after delayed tabling of spending plan

The source said MCAs are ready to convene a Special Sitting any day before the resumption date only if Nyong’o appoints a substantive Finance CEC.

“The budget is ready, but we are using it as a shield to compel Governor Nyong’o to send Achar home and give us another candidate for the position,” the MCA said.

Achar however maintained that he got an extension of a court order barring the Assembly from impeaching him on Tuesday.

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The Assembly in a rejoinder said the extension of the court order came hours after the impeachment motion had passed.

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