Kiambu County assembly has been criticised for failing to approve a proposal by the Finance head seeking to borrow money to pay health workers who have downed their tools for a week now.
Health workers have gone without pay for two months prompting the finance executive Wilson Mburu to request Family Bank to loan the county, but the proposal had not been approved by MCAs.
Mburu said Family Bank agreed on a 1% off interest but he is still waiting for the assembly to deliberate on the matter before approval.
“This letter serves to request you to make payment of total net salaries of Kiambu executive at a cost of Sh272,573,550. Total gross payroll of Sh49,902,175. The details of beneficiary banks and accounts details of total amounts of Sh322,475,676 are hereby attached,” the letter read in part.
Mburu also requested the county assembly to make a policy that the county government bears the cost of deductions from employees by the bank over delayed salaries.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Kiambu branch has since written to the county secretary, labour office, Kiambu assembly, county public service board and the county chief health officer complaining of intimidation.
Secretary-general John Njoroge said the health workers have been threatened with dismissals while others have also received backlash from the chief health officer.
“We have done our work and all we ask is to be paid and getting intimidations will not work on us. If there is no pay by Friday, the strike is on officially from 8th October,” Njoroge said.
