Drama ensued at the offices of Kisumu County Governor Anyang Nyong'o on Wednesday after workers blocked entry into his office.
The workers under the umbrella of Kenya County Government Workers Union, Kisumu branch, protested over the laxity of the county to address their issues lamenting that they have been neglected.
They further demanded to be paid 6-month arrears in lumpsum which they argued had caused them financial struggles in meeting their obligations.
While holding the protests, the workers cornered Nyong’o who arrived shortly in the morning. The governor was forced to commit to resolving their grievances immediately.
The governor, in response, called for calm among the employees noting that he had sorted out their pay which would hit their accounts within the week. “You will be paid on Friday. Tomorrow is a holiday,” Nyong’o assured seemingly irritated by the nudging.
The workers narrated how they have been frustrated even after visiting the Minister of Roads and given assurance that their salaries will be paid.
“We have worked for over six months now without any pay. We are tired, we want our money,” one worker told the press.
They faulted some appointed county executive committee members (CECMs) for denying them access to the governor whom they sought an audience with.
“We don’t want to talk with appointed county executive committee members (CECs). We want to see the governor whom we elected,” one of the workers demanded.
Earlier in October, the workers had issued a notice intending to protest at the employers’ doorstep to demand for their pending salary payments which had accumulated for two months. They warned that the strike would paralyse the county’s key functions including revenue, inspectorate, fire brigade, and environment.
Through their chairman, Boaz Opiyo, the workers speculated that the delay in their salaries was by design orchestrated by some officials in the county.
They decried county executives’ lame excuses of blaming the exchequer for failing to release funds to the counties. The workers shared that they were frustrated by the delayed payments of house rent, school fees, and food to their families as a result of delayed salaries.
It comes as the National Treasury on November 18, announced it had fully disbursed funds to county governments.
