Some of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation's (KBC) staff were yet to receive their May 2023 salaries, according to sources within the government parastatal.
The delay in the payment of salaries was due to financial constraints facing the government parastatals and agencies.
An insider privy to the matter told Kenyans.co.ke that the delay had mainly affected the staff, mainly journalists contracted on part-time contracts at the national broadcaster.
The source further revealed that the delay had gone on intermittently, starting late last year (2022). The management was, however, yet to issue an explanation.
"Some of KBC staff are yet to receive their May salary. Those working on part-time contracts have been affected the most. This has been the norm for a few months now.
"No explanation (has been given). Since late last year, there is no consistency in the payment. One month we get paid on time, the other month, there is a delay," our source stated.
In April 2023, KBC Chief Executive Officer Samuel Maina apologised for the inconvenience caused by an earlier delay experienced in March 2023.
Maina, however, assured the staff that the salaries will be paid as soon as possible, noting that government agencies were facing a serious financial crisis.
Maina wrote to staff asking them to exercise patience as the media house worked to resolve the crisis. He also urged them to put in place financial contingency measures to cushion themselves and their families.
Government Cash Crunch
The salary delay is part of a larger cash crunch facing the government, which has been forced to delay payments to a number of its departments, suppliers and contractors.
The country is facing a financial crisis with the country's debt reaching unsustainable levels and the economy struggling to grow. The crisis has been caused by a number of factors, including high levels of public debt.
Between September 2022 - December 2022, the government received Ksh87.73 billion from International Monetary Fund (IMF). The money was disbursed in two bunches of Ksh7.81 billion and Ksh54.92 billion.
From the World Bank, the government received Ksh140 billion on May 30 to help the government fund the budget.
Similarly, on Friday, June 16, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua announced that the World Bank had given the government some Ksh45 billion to help finance its budget deficit.
"Kenya's public debt has reached 60 per cent of GDP which is considered to be high by international standards.
"The government has been borrowing heavily in recent years to finance its budget deficit, which has widened due to a number of factors, including the cost of infrastructure projects and the wage bill," Gachagua noted.
