The Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) is calling for a permanent payroll system to prevent repeated salary delays affecting employees in county governments.
The union says workers should not be left without their salaries because of budget disagreements, funding challenges or administrative problems within county governments.
In a statement issued on Monday, August 24, UKCS Organising Secretary Asingo Wilson said the continued delays, particularly in Nairobi County, were becoming unacceptable.
“The continued delay in payment of Nairobi County employees is unacceptable and must not be normalised. Workers have families to support, rent and school fees to pay, and financial obligations that do not wait for budget processes,” the union said.
The union acknowledged that the current delays have been linked to budget approval and funding challenges.
However, it argued that borrowing money through a bank facility would only provide temporary relief and would not address weaknesses in the way county payrolls are managed.
“A bank facility may bridge a temporary cash-flow gap, but it cannot fix a broken payroll system,” UKCS said.
Proposed payroll reforms
The union wants county governments to establish a County Payroll Management Framework that would protect employees from delays whenever counties experience financial pressure.
Under the proposed system, counties would set aside a ring-fenced monthly wage bill and maintain a protected reserve specifically for salaries.
UKCS said this would help ensure money meant for workers is not diverted to meet other financial obligations.
The union is also calling for closer integration between Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) and the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).
It wants counties to adopt a fixed and predictable salary payment calendar so employees know when to expect their pay each month.
Another proposal is an early-warning system that would alert county governments to possible cash-flow problems before they affect salaries.
The union further wants salaries that have already been earned by workers to be treated as a priority when counties allocate their available funds.
Salary delays spread to counties
The call comes after several county governments reported delays in paying their employees in recent weeks.
Nairobi County has been among those affected, with the delays linked to the late approval of the county budget.
Other counties, including Turkana, Baringo and Siaya, have also reported salary delays, with some workers facing up to two months without pay.
UKCS said such delays put unnecessary pressure on workers who still have to meet everyday expenses despite not receiving their salaries.
The union is now pushing for changes to county payroll systems to ensure that salary delays do not become a recurring problem whenever counties face budget or cash-flow challenges.
