Nairobi County’s plan to secure a short-term loan to pay staff salaries immediately faced backlash after MCAs discovered that the proposal lacked the most basic information.
The motion was brought to the Assembly without stating how much money the county wanted to borrow, the repayment terms, or even the bank that would issue the loan, raising suspicion and anger across the House.
The request came through a letter written by Finance CEC Charles Kerich on November 13, 2025. He asked the Assembly to approve the loan under Section 142 of the Public Finance Management Act, explaining that the money was needed to manage cash flow delays affecting payments to contractors and county employees.
He noted that such borrowing should not exceed five per cent of the last audited revenues and must be repaid within one year. He also stressed that quick approval was necessary to prevent disruptions in county operations.
During the plenary session, Majority Leader Peter Imwatok presented the motion but failed to provide any supporting details. His statement simply repeated the legal reference and the request for permission to borrow, offering no explanation of the amount involved or the institution that would lend the funds.
This immediately triggered questions from MCAs on both sides of the political divide.Ngara Ward MCA Chege Mwaura sharply criticised the Executive, accusing it of trying to push the Assembly into approving a loan blindly.
He questioned why the administration expected MCAs to authorise borrowing without giving even the basic figures or conditions. He warned that the Assembly could not allow itself to be treated like a rubber stamp.
Minority Leader Anthony Kiragu added that the House must be protected from what he called incomplete and careless paperwork. He insisted that the Finance Executive must provide all supporting details before the proposal returns to the Assembly. He argued that bringing such an empty request was disrespectful to the law and to the institution.
The Speaker directed that MCAs would only consider approving or rejecting the governor’s request once all the missing information was supplied. However, some leaders outside the Assembly said the motion should have been rejected immediately.
Former Planning PS Irungu Nyakera argued that the governor was effectively asking for a blank cheque, warning that this kind of move is what has pushed Nairobi into heavy debts and endless pending bills.
Questions around the county’s financial management have also grown following the recent decision to shift City Hall’s main accounts to Sidian Bank, a change that has puzzled MCAs and finance officers.
At the same time, the County Government Workers Union has raised concern about repeated salary delays, including the October salary that was only released on November 18, despite earlier promises from Governor Sakaja that workers would not face such delays during his leadership.
