City Hall owes MCAs, staff Sh60 million in allowances

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Ken Ngondi. [Samson Wire, Standard]

The Nairobi County Assembly Members and staff have not been paid their per diems and other allowances to the tune of Sh60 million.

But it has emerged now that the MCAs and County staff will wait a little longer until the promise by the Controller of Budget (COB) to release the money is honoured.

"At the close of last financial year, we had already placed a requisition to COB at a tune of Sh211 million," Nairobi Assembly Speaker Ken Ng'ondi stated after meeting MCA's.

"The pending imprests of both staff and MCAs as at now stand at Sh60 million. It is not our fault that we are not able to facilitate members in good time."

Ngondi regretted the current economic challenges in the country that has led to delays in the payment of the allowances.

"We don't have money to honour these services in good time but that doesn't mean we are not going to pay them for the services," the Speaker said.

Ngondi said that once the budget has been published and uploaded by the COB the members and County staff will access the money in three to four weeks' time.

For some days now there has been disquiet among the members including skipping normal sittings over the delays of the allowances.

Some members within the city however claimed that their counterparts had been discreetly paid.

"It is a responsibility of the members to attend sittings because they draw salaries from giving services to the people," the speaker stated.

"Attending plenary is one of the core mandates of the members if you run away from the responsibility, I think that is wrong."