Nairobi County Government has announced plans for a short-term loan to address delays in paying workers' salaries. During a county assembly meeting on November 19, 2025, a special motion was presented seeking assembly approval. However, assembly members criticized the motion for lacking key details.
During the Nairobi County Assembly meeting on November 19, 2025, the county government presented a special motion seeking members' approval to borrow short-term funds. The motion, presented on behalf of Majority Leader Peter Imwatok by Minority Leader Anthony Karanja, relies on Section 142 of the Public Financial Management Act of 2012.
Governor Johnson Sakaja needs these funds to pay county workers' salaries and related expenses. “Pursuant to Section 142 of the Public Financial Management Act 2012, I wish to lay the following paper in this Assembly: Request for approval for Nairobi County to borrow a short-term loan to pay salaries and salary-related expenditures,” stated Imwatok's communication.
Assembly members criticized the motion, noting it failed to specify the amount of funds required, the repayment period, and the bank from which the county plans to borrow. Ngara MCA Chege Mwaura said: “We don't have full details. What exactly are we passing?” Minority Leader Anthony Karanja added: “I urge you to protect this Assembly from baseless papers. The finance executive must provide sufficient attachments before bringing a motion.”
Speaker Kennedy Ng’ondi assured members that the motion would be referred to the Budget and Implementation Committee for review. “Don't look for blame. It's just a request for approval. The papers have been presented and will now be forwarded to the Budget and Implementation Committee to issue a report. We expect thorough analysis,” Ng’ondi said.
This comes amid ongoing complaints from county government workers' union about salary delays, where October salaries were postponed until November 18, contrary to Governor Sakaja's promise that no worker would face delays under his leadership.