By Martin Masai
Eleven Days into March, February Salaries are Yet to be Paid after the Governor Declared Delays are Over
Days after Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti confidently told the County Assembly that salary delays were a thing of the past, county staff have yet to receive their February pay.
The development exposes a widening gap between official pronouncements and the financial reality inside the county government.
In her controversial State of the County Address — a lengthy speech that allegedly outlined her administration’s achievements — the governor assured workers that the era of late salaries had ended.
“The days of persistent salary delays are over. We have prioritized timely payments and the consistent remittance of statutory deductions, because a worker is worthy of their hire,” she said.
But investigations by The Anchor show that the county government has not paid its workforce weeks after payroll approval, raising fresh questions about Wavinya’s truthfulness and whether Machakos is facing a severe cash-flow crisis.
Sources within the county administration say February payroll was approved on February 27, but payments could not be effected because the county salary account at KCB Bank is overdrawn.
” The payroll was prepared and approved but there is nothing we can do with it because there is no money in the salary account” a well placed official who is aware of the what is happening told The Anchor on strict anonymity terms due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Net salaries for county employees are estimated at about Kes.250 million. The gross payroll runs at over Kes.360m.The county has not been remitting statutory deductions and staff loans deductions to banks.
The Anchor has published a page containing the governor’s assurances on salaries during the address.The salary issue may well cast doubt on the truthfulness of the contents of the 48 page speech that was finally transmitted to the county after fumbling with an initial 106 page document.
The salaries situation worsened after an attempt by the county executive to secure a KSh570 million borrowing facility failed to gain the support of Members of the County Assembly. Several MCAs are reportedly unwilling to approve the borrowing request amid concerns about the county’s financial management and rising obligations.
Without the borrowing approval, the county treasury has been unable to mobilize funds to clear the salary bill.
Inside county offices, anxiety is spreading rapidly.
Normally, when delays occur, the County Secretary Dr Muya Ndambuki issues a formal assurance letter to staff explaining the cause of the delay and providing a timeline for payment. This time, no such communication has been made.
The silence has fuelled panic among employees, many of whom depend entirely on their monthly pay to meet basic obligations.
At the same time, the county’s operational strain is becoming increasingly visible.
Several offices are reportedly operating without electricity, leaving services crippled and staff unable to perform routine duties.
For workers, the contradiction between the governor’s public declaration and the unfolding situation has become difficult to ignore.
The question now quietly circulating in Machakos County offices and political corridors alike is stark: Was the governor’s declaration premature — or is the county government running out of money?
Until salaries are paid, the claim that delays are over will remain under intense scrutiny from both employees and the public.
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