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Felix Yegon and Tony Wafula  

The Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) has raised concern over delay in payment of county employees.

Secretary General Roba Duba said most devolved units owe workers hundreds of shillings in unpaid salaries subjecting them to untold suffering  leading to lack of work morale.

“Workers are supposed to get their dues on the fifth day of every month, at the moment,  most members are suffering due to a delay by its employer to release their dues,” he said in Bomet yesterday.

The announcement came even as health workers in Bungoma county downed tools demanding May and June salaries.

Speaking to the press yesterday, Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Bungoma branch secretary general George Barasa claimed the county government has refused to address their grievances.

“We wrote a letter to the county secretary asking the county to pay the workers or we down tools and up to date, we have not received any communication on when we will be paid our dues or how we can solve the issue,” he said adding that all health workers employed by the county government will remain at home until their demands are met.

Warning of dire consequences if the situation persists, Roba urged respective counties to pay its members. 

Engagement session 

“We understand sometimes the exchequer delays in releasing the money to counties but we want them to follow the law, the employment law that states that if you engage an employer you must pay them on time for the services they rendered,” said Roba.

He made the remarks at the Bomet Water Company offices in Bomet town on during an engagement session with officials and its members ahead of the signing of a recognition agreement next week.

Present were the union’s branch officials led by its secretary David Rono among others.

Bomet water company managing director Patrick Langat said the agreement with the union was a great milestone and especially to the employees as they have not had one since the inception of the company seven years ago.

The Memorandum of Understanding, he noted, will provide a guideline on how the management and employees can work together towards achieving good industrial and employee relations.

“As the management, we promise to work together with the union. W urge them to also give us the same support because this is a symbiotic relationship and moving forward we hope to scale the heights together,” said Langat.

Solve stalemate

In Bungoma,  Sylvia Wafula, resident of Chemwa village in Kabuchai constituency told People Daily that she arrived at Bungoma County Health Hospital at 5am to seek treatment for her child but she was turned away by a security guard, who asked him to seek medical services from a private hospital.  She appealed to the county government to find a lasting solution to the stalemate. 

However, Bungoma governor Wycliffe Wangamati while speaking at a local radio station exonerated the Executive from blame and accused the Members of County Assembly of failing to pass the supplementary budget.