Nairobi County lawmakers have expressed alarm over a sudden request by City Hall to approve a loan aimed at paying salaries and settling other county obligations. What was presented as a routine financial measure on Wednesday has sparked questions from both government supporters and opposition MCAs, who say the motion lacks crucial details.
Majority Leader Peter Imwatok introduced the motion, but when pressed, could not provide information on the amount to be borrowed, the lender, or the repayment schedule. The motion, framed as a short-term loan request, did not include any figures, raising concerns about transparency.
“Pursuant to Section 142 of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012, I beg to lay the following paper on the table of this County Assembly. This is a request for authority from Nairobi City County Assembly to borrow a short-term loan to settle salary and salary-related expenditure by Nairobi City County Executive,” Imwatok stated.
MCAs argued that the Executive appeared to be seeking approval without providing the Assembly with enough information to make an informed decision. Ngara Ward representative Chege Mwaura criticized the motion for being incomplete.
“We don’t have the content in the statement. What are we passing? What is the exact amount that they want to borrow? What are the terms? We do not want to be reduced to conveyor belts,” he said.
Minority Leader Anthony Kiragu warned that the County Assembly should not be used to advance the Executive’s agenda without proper oversight.
“I requesting that you protect this House from bombardment with useless papers that do not follow the law. It is important that Finance Executive Charles Kerich attaches it with a nexus before bringing it to this House,” Kiragu added.
Speaker Beatrice Elachi emphasized that MCAs have the power to approve or reject the loan request but stressed that all ambiguities must be cleared first. Former Planning PS Irungu Nyakera also opposed the move, saying it resembled a request for a “blank cheque.”
“The governor was asking for a blank cheque. This is how Nairobi has been piling up debts and pending bills. Zero governance, zero oversight and a system that keeps enabling reckless decisions at the expense of Nairobians,” he said.
The loan request comes shortly after City Hall moved its main accounts to Sidian Bank, a decision that raised questions about timing and intent. County Government Workers Union officials have also expressed concern over repeated salary delays, pointing to the late October salaries received on November 18, which contradicts Governor Sakaja’s earlier assurances that staff would be paid on time.
