Parliament Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi questions government over salary delay

Questions have arisen over the state of the government's financial status following a delay in the disbursement of civil servants' salaries for March.

According to National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi, the Kenya Kwanza administration has been unable to pay salaries to civil servants and disburse funds to the county governments, which has strained operations in the devolved units.

The Ugunja Member of Parliament implored the House to look into the National Treasury and its bodies in charge of revenue collection, as well as management personnel, in a bid to understand where the crisis was originating from.

“We are calling on Parliament to take leadership and conduct an inquiry on the financial and economic crisis building up in the country before we collapse like other African countries that have gone that route,” stated Wandayi.

“We need to take a close look at the operations of individuals and systems at the National Treasury, the Central Bank of Kenya, and the Kenya Revenue Authority and compel testimony and the production of documents with a view to establishing what has gone wrong,” Wandayi added.

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Normally, MPs receive their salaries by the end of the month, between the 26th and 30th, which was yet to happen. As of March 7, most civil servants were yet to receive their pay, except for teachers and members of the disciplined services.

According to Wandayi, the President Ruto-led administration has failed to implement ways of raising the country’s revenue to run its operations, more than six months since they assumed power.

“Today, about six months into this regime, Kenya cannot pay salaries, let alone finance its other operations. This is the sad state of affairs that the administration is hiding from Kenyans.

“For the first time since independence in 1963, the government of Kenya is unable to pay salaries to civil servants and Members of Parliament. Nearly all civil servants don't know when or if they will ever be paid,” he said.

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He cited the alleged misappropriation of public funds, over-taxation, as well as the appointment of persons with questionable credentials to government as the causes of the crisis in the country.