The growing salary crisis in Nairobi County has exposed once again the failures of Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration. County workers, through the Kenya County Government Workers Union, have accused the county of breaking promises and abandoning its responsibility to pay staff on time.
This has now left thousands of employees unable to meet their daily needs while the county government continues to make commitments it cannot keep.
The union reminded the public that after a five-day pay parade due to salary delays, they signed a return-to-work formula with the county management on August 11, 2025.
The deal was clear, as captured in the union’s statement: “Following a five (5) day pay parade due to perennial salary delays, on 11’h August, 2025 the union signed a Return to work formula with the county management which among other things committed that salaries henceforth would be paid by 5th of every month.”
However, the union noted that Nairobi County has failed to respect that agreement, with staff now facing the same frustrations as before.
The union said July and August salaries remain unpaid and even third-party remittances have been ignored. The frustration was captured in another part of the statement, which read, “It’s quite unfortunate that today, being the 17th of September,2025 Nairobi county staff are yet to receive their third party remittances of July,2025 and August 2025 salaries and there are no signs when the salaries will be paid. This is gross contravention of the Return to work agreement.”
A letter addressing Governor Johnson Sakaja for delays county workers salaries.
According to workers, the situation has now left many of them unable to report to work, pay bills, or even take care of their families.
The union further advised its members to scale down services until the county takes action, warning that many staff can no longer afford to commute to their workstations.
The statement concluded with a stern directive: “This situation has made staff unable to attend to personal and family obligations including commuting to work.
As the county management resolves the salaries issue as per the circular NCC/CS/GA/832 dated 9th September, 2025 the union hereby advise our member to slow down their services to the county and those unable to commute to duty to stay at home until salaries are credited to their accounts. Be duly informed.”
This crisis is not new under Sakaja’s leadership. In July, medics including nurses, laboratory officers, pharmaceutical technologists, and public health officers staged protests after weeks without pay, crippling health services across Nairobi.
Their frustrations were backed by unions who pointed out that delayed salaries go against the Employment Act of 2007, which demands that workers be paid on time, not later than the fifth day after the pay period.
The continued defiance of agreements and disregard for the law has now become a defining feature of Sakaja’s administration.
Instead of addressing the city’s real problems, Nairobi workers are constantly dragged into endless battles just to receive their rightful dues.
This paints a grim picture of the county government’s priorities, as residents continue to suffer from disrupted services while the governor’s promises remain nothing more than empty words.
