Sonko sets aside Sh1 Billion for City Hall Workers

dennis kibet

September 27, 2017 7:30 AM

The Nairobi Governor announced the billion shilling package that will be given to...

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has announced a Sh1 billion send-off package to county workers.

Sonko said the money has been set aside as compensation for early retirement of 70 per cent of the county’s aging workforce.

The package is part of City Hall’s plan to rein on the ballooning wage bill of the over 14,000 county workers aged 55 years and over who are either semi-skilled or unskilled.

The county's wage bill currently stands at Sh1.5 billion a month.

According to The Standard, approximately 1,000 employees have already agreed to voluntarily retire on condition that they are adequately compensated.

“A big number of the workforce is aged and that is why we have set money aside to convince them to take early retirement. They will, however, do so at will and no one is being forced to retire,” said Sonko.

A recent report by the county assembly’s finance and budget committee revealed that in a county that has more than 14,000 workers, 8,400 have bare minimum education standards and are unskilled and only 240 workers are professionals.

The report recommended that the county should avoid hiring and replacing staff until the expenditure on wages and salaries drops to 32 per cent in the 2020/21 financial year.

It also showed that professionals only account for two per cent of the work force, inclusive of engineers, architects, and lawyers.

Sonko's efforts were supported by the Kenya County Government Workers Union Branch Chairman, Boniface Waweru on condition that they receive their benefits.

“It is up to an individuals to choose whether they will leave before they reach the age of 60, but I am positive that most of my members will take the retirement package on condition it is inclusive of their benefits,” Waweru stated.

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