The delay in payment of July salaries to county employees has exposed a less visible problem in Kenya’s devolved system, what happens when counties fail to complete the budget process on time.
While the immediate concern is unpaid workers, the implications go beyond salaries. County governments rely on their employees to run health facilities, collect revenue, manage waste, maintain local infrastructure and provide essential services to residents.
A delay in paying staff therefore raises questions about whether problems in the budget process can eventually affect service delivery.
The budget process behind a county salary
County governments cannot simply begin spending their new financial year allocations once July arrives.
Their budgets have to go through the required approval and compliance processes before money can be accessed and spent through the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).
The Controller of Budget has said counties were expected to submit their 2026/27 budgets by June 30.
However, some counties submitted their budgets late, while others failed to provide key information required for clearance.
Among the requirements were details on how counties planned to settle pending bills, the County Fiscal Strategy Paper and evidence that members of the public had been involved in the budget making process.
As of August 10, Turkana, Nyamira, Isiolo and Tharaka Nithi were among counties whose budgets had not been cleared.
The delays have created a difficult start to the financial year for county employees.
Nairobi workers wait for July pay
In Nairobi, Governor Johnson Sakaja attributed the delay in July salaries to the transition into the new financial year.
The county normally pays employees towards the end of each month, but Sakaja said the new budget had not been uploaded and approved, meaning the required processes had to be completed before funds could be released.
During the financial year, salaries are paid on time by the end of the month from the 27th.
“There was just a delay because it is a new financial year,” Sakaja said during an interview.
The county had notified employees that processing of their July salaries had been affected by delays in the approval and uploading of the budget.
Sakaja said the money was available and assured workers that the problem was being addressed.
He also acknowledged the financial pressure caused by the delay, noting that he too had not received his salary.
However, the governor did not give a specific date for when employees would receive their July pay.
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Turkana points to delays in Nairobi
The situation in Turkana has followed a similar pattern, although the county has offered a different explanation.
In a notice dated August 10, the county government told employees that their July salaries had been delayed because of “slow processing by relevant offices in Nairobi”.
The administration said it was working to speed up the process and that salaries would be paid once the outstanding procedures were completed.
But the Controller of Budget’s position puts greater responsibility on the counties themselves.
Turkana was among four counties whose budgets were still awaiting clearance as of August 10.
This creates an important accountability question, if a county submits its budget late or without the required information, who should bear the consequences?
For employees, the answer is immediate, They still have rent, school fees, food and other household expenses to meet regardless of where the delay occurred.
When a salary problem becomes a service delivery problem
The bigger concern for residents is what happens if salary delays continue.
County governments employ thousands of workers across different departments. Doctors, nurses, public health officers, revenue officers, inspectors, engineers, administrators and other staff depend on the county payroll.
If delayed salaries lead to frustration, absenteeism or industrial action, residents could be the next to feel the impact.
A strike by Nairobi County employees, for example, could affect services that residents encounter every day from waste collection and revenue operations to health facilities and other county functions.
This is why county budget delays should not be treated purely as an internal administrative matter.
The budget is the mechanism through which counties turn constitutional responsibilities into services.
What does the Constitution require?
Devolution was designed to bring government closer to the people and improve access to services.
County governments therefore have a responsibility to ensure that their financial planning supports the continuous delivery of those services.
That includes preparing budgets on time, meeting legal requirements, responding to issues raised during the approval process and ensuring that public participation requirements are met.
The salary delays now being experienced by some county employees raise questions about whether counties are adequately planning for the transition between financial years.
If counties know that salaries must continue to be paid while new budgets are being processed, should there be stronger systems to prevent the annual transition from disrupting payrolls?
The lesson for counties
The current situation also highlights the need to look beyond the question of whether money is available.
A county may have funds allocated for salaries, but that does not automatically mean the money can be spent.
The county still has to complete the legal and financial steps required before expenditure can take place.
That distinction is important for residents trying to understand why a county can say it has money but still fail to pay its workers on time.
For county governments, the lesson is equally clear, budget compliance is not just paperwork. It has consequences for real people and the services they provide.
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