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Nairobi MCAs freeze employment of new staff at City Hall


Nairobi County Assembly has directed the executive to freeze employment at the City Hall as a measure to curb its huge wage bill.

A report by the Committee on Budget and Appropriation adopted by the assembly says the county government needs to address its wage bill urgently.

The chairman of the committee Michael Okumu said that the assembly had also resolved to freeze replacement of employees leaving City Hall due to natural attrition and retirement.

“The County Assembly therefore resolved to freeze any additional employment over the medium term and further that any specialized employment requirement shall be subject to budgetary provision as approved by this assembly,” said Mr Okumu.

The chairman said that the assembly had also agreed to cap expenditure on wages and salaries to not more than sh14 billion or 40 per cent of the total county revenue.

The figure is expected to 35 per cent of the total county revenue by the 2018/19 financial year.

“Whereas the committee was at times at times swayed by the reasons given for additional recruitment, it considered the proposed expenditures and resolved to invite the assembly to freeze additional employment,” said Mr Okumu.

Nairobi Governor Dr Evans Kidero told journalists in his office on Thursday that his hands are tied on reducing the wage bill. He pointed out that his government inherited 13,000 employees from the national government and the defunct Nairobi City Council.

“I had inherited 9,000 employees from defunct council, and the national government seconded 6,000 having a total of 15,000. But I have managed to reduce them to 13,000 but my hands are tied since I can not sack the employees,”said Dr Kidero.