Nairobi governor seeks to have money to pay workers returned
What you need to know:
- He said the matter should be resolved quickly to avoid inconveniencing the lives of the staff.
- The governor has given KRA and Central Bank until Tuesday to return the money catering for the April salaries.
Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero has faulted the national government for interfering with the money that was to be used to pay workers salaries.
Addressing the media on Saturday at Shauri Moyo Seventh Day Adventist Church, Dr Kidero criticized the Kenya Revenue Authority and the Central Bank of Kenya for frustrating the county over debts that were incurred before devolution.
"Playing politics with the lives of the people will not be allowed," he said.
ULTIMATUM
He said the matter should be resolved quickly to avoid inconveniencing the lives of the staff.
"In the last four years Nairobi has been very peaceful and we would like it to continue that way with no protests and demonstrations.
"But right now our 13,000 employees plus their families continue suffering because KRA and the national government are playing politics with their salaries."
The governor has given KRA and Central Bank until Tuesday to return the money catering for the April salaries.
"We have gone to court and we are telling KRA that the money needs to be refunded before Tuesday next week because it is getting to a point where I cannot restrain workers because they need to take care of their families yet they have not been paid," he said.
TAX
In a suit filed on Monday, the Nairobi County government faulted the Central Bank for directing funds totalling Sh1,017,393,208 from its recurrent account and having it credited to Kenya Revenue Authority’s Domestic Taxes income tax payer account.
According to Nairobi County, the transaction is illegal and is calculated at sabotaging as well as blackmailing the government to outrageous uneconomically sustainable demands.
"The funds herein were illegally transferred to KRA’s account yet they were solely meant to cater for the due salaries of the employees who are in the Nairobi county government’s payroll," Prof Tom Ojienda, acting for the county, said.
