Time flies with great content! Renew in to keep enjoying all our premium content.
Prime
County staff taking home below third of basic pay doubles on debt and taxes
The auditor's report further indicates that the number of non-compliant counties (in remitting not less than a third of the salary) increased to 38 up from 30 in the preceding year.
The number of county government employees taking home less than a third of their gross pay more than doubled during the year ended June 2024 to 21,647 up from 8,514 the year before.
The disclosure, contained in Auditor General Nancy Gathungu’s latest review of county executives’ management, reflects the impact of debt commitments and statutory deductions on pay slips.
The rise in State deductions came at a time of elevated lending rates which added to the pain of workers who had tapped loans on the strength of their jobs.
Ms Gathungu’s report further indicates that the number of non-compliant counties (in remitting not less than a third of the salary) increased to 38 up from 30 in the preceding year.
The trend contravenes the Employment Act, 2007, which prohibits any employer from effecting over two-thirds deductions from the wages of their employee at any given time.
“Without prejudice to any recovery of any debt due, and notwithstanding the provisions of any other written law, the total amount of all deductions which may be made by an employer from the wages of his employee at any one time shall not exceed two-thirds of such wages…,” notes Section 19 (3) of the Act.
During the period under review, Nandi County recorded the highest number of affected employees at 3,719, followed by Kiambu (1,575), Kitui (1,909), Meru (1,707) and Embu (1,366).
“Analysis of the monthly payrolls revealed that a total of 3,719 employees received net pay of less than a third of their basic salary in the 12-month period,” Ms Gathungu said of Nandi County.
“This was contrary to Section 19(3) of Employment Act, 2007 which states that the total amount of all deductions which under the provisions made by an employer from the wages of his employee at any one time shall not exceed two-thirds of such wages.”
In counties such as Trans Nzoia and West Pokot, the Auditor reported instances of workers being deducted more than two-thirds of their salaries, but did not disclose the number of affected employees.
“Review of the County’s payroll data for twelve months revealed instances where employees received net salaries which were less than a third of their respective basic salaries…In the circumstances, management was in breach of the law,” she wrote of West Pokot County.
