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National Assembly Minority Leader and Ugunja Member of Parliament (MP) Opiyo Wandayi has raised alarm over delayed salaries for civil servants and legislators.

Wandayi lamented about delayed salaries in a press statement dated April 7, 2023.

“Azimio la Umoja One Keliya Coalition Party is deeply concerned at the worsening economic situation in the country that has seen the government unable to meet one of its most basic of obligations, which is paying its workers. We fear that this country is collapsing while we sit pretty hoping for miracles,” Wandayi said.

Wandayi blamed the situation on the government, questioning where the money from the scrapped subsidies went.

“Kenyans will recall that one of the first acts of the Kenya Kwanza regime upon assuming power was to remove subsidies to basic goods with claims that subsidizing consumption was a waste of money.

“Kenya Kwanza then proceeded to appoint people with questionable credentials and serious criminal records and placed them at our revenue and financials systems at the Kenya Revenue Authority, the National Treasury and Central Bank of Kenya.

“Kenya Kwanza immediately announced that from the scrapped fuel subsidy alone the Treasury would save Ksh9.49 billion. Other savings would come in from the removal of subsidies on unga and school fees,” he said.

The Minority Leader added; “The regime then embarked on massive tax increases. In came 20 per cent tax on M-PESA, internet transactions went up to 16 per cent, 15 per cent capital gain tax on the transfer of property, VAT on e-books and videoconferencing, the list is endless.

“The net effect of all these measures was supposedly to increase revenue collection to between Ksh4 trillion and Ksh5 trillion per year and enable the government’s financial operations.”

Only police, military paid

Wandayi said that civil servants and MPs have gone to Easter without salaries despite the government’s efforts to increase revenue collection. He revealed that only the police and military have been paid.

“Today, about six months into this regime, Kenya cannot pay salaries, leave alone finance its other operations. This is the sad state of affairs that the administration is hiding from Kenyans.

“For the first time since independence in 1963, the government of Kenya is unable to pay salaries to civil servants and members of Parliament. Nearly all civil servants don’t know when or if they will ever be paid. The situation has been degenerating progressively since December last year. This month, things have come to ahead.

“For the first time in our history, even MPs have not been paid as we head towards mid-month.
Only members of the security services – police and military – have been paid as we speak and the reason must be obvious to all. But it won’t be long before members of the disciplined forces also begin missing salaries if we continue this way,” Wandayi said.

He added; “Where the proceeds from taxes and savings from scrapped subsidies are going, we can’t tell. The easy conclusion is that the criminals at KRA are collecting and pocketing taxes as the incompetents at the National Treasury also skim off the revenue while failing to come up with sound policies for cash flow.
The result of this theft and incompetence at critical institutions in charge of revenue generation and collection is that civil servants and MPs have gone to Easter without salaries.”

The Minority Leader also noted that the government owes state agencies Ksh204 billion.

“The administration owes state agencies Ksh204 billion while the counties are demanding Ksh92.5 billion which is equitable share for the months of January, February and March.”

Wandayi further complained the government was creating offices for some people even as civil servants and MPs go without salaries.

“This is happening at a time the regime is busy setting up offices and working on salaries and other benefits for 50 CASs and their staff in addition to creating offices for spouses, first sons and first daughters.”