The issue of unpaid salaries for Marsabit County workers, a matter stretching back to November 2024, has exposed what insiders describe as a system of financial mismanagement, deliberate payroll manipulation, and selective allocation of public funds that has left hundreds of employees struggling to meet their basic needs.
While county officials maintain that salary delays stem from a lack of funds and ongoing national disbursement challenges, affected workers insist the problem runs deeper, alleging that recurrent expenditure meant for salaries and allowances has been diverted to benefit individuals with close ties to Governor Ali Mohamud Mohamed.
At the centre of these claims is an opaque payroll structure that, according to multiple accounts, has been manipulated to exclude some employees from formal records, forcing them into irregular payment arrangements that deprive them of key employment benefits.
Those affected, including casual labourers now entering their fourth month without pay, describe a system in which salaries are issued selectively, insurance coverage is inaccessible, and payslips, critical for securing financial stability through loans and credit, are deliberately withheld.
The result is a workforce trapped in uncertainty, unable to challenge the discrepancies without risking their jobs, and left with no formal avenue to demand their dues.
The situation, workers say, is compounded by concerns that attempts to audit the county’s payroll are unlikely to yield results.
A government audit team was at the payroll office on Monday but sources within the county administration claim that financial inducements have already been offered to silence any scrutiny, ensuring that the discrepancies, missing funds and systemic irregularities remain concealed.
Beyond the immediate crisis of unpaid salaries, residents of Marsabit say the broader implications are evident in the state of county governance, where discussions on service delivery and development have been replaced by a growing sense of resignation.
As frustration mounts, calls for intervention grow louder, but with county officials maintaining silence and workers left without recourse, the question remains whether the grievances of Marsabit’s workforce will be addressed or, like previous disputes over financial mismanagement, quietly buried beneath the weight of official indifference.
There's no story that cannot be told. We cover the stories that others don't want to be told, we bring you all the news you need. If you have tips, exposes or any story you need to be told bluntly and all queries write to us [email protected] also find us on Telegram
