Governor takes voluntary pay cut to support emergency kitty against Covid-19

NAIROBI—The leadership of Nandi County Government has agreed to voluntary take pay cut and channel the funds to an emergency kitty in a bid to tackle Covid-19 outbreak in the area.

While announcing a 30% pay cut, Governor Stephen Sang said the cut was also accepted by the deputy governor and senior county staff.

“The county leadership has agreed to take pay cuts for the months of March and April with myself and the Deputy Governor taking a 30 per cent cut; the county secretary, the county executive committee members and the chief officers will take a 25 per cent cut for the same period,” Sang said while addressing the press outside his office in Kapsabet after emergency meeting with the county commissioner, Kutswa Olaka.

Unlike other counties across the nation, Nandi is among the counties denied its share from the Exchequer over failure to clear pending bills as directed by the Treasury.

“The resultant amount will be channelled into the Emergency Fund Account to enable us procure additional and urgently needed medical supplies and items in response to the emergency at hand,” governor Sang noted.

The governor also ordered medical staff on study leave to report to work within 24 hours after their studies were put on hold by universities due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Kenya has confirmed one more coronavirus case, bringing the total tally to 16 in the country, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has said on Monday.

The latest case is a close contact of one of the 8 newly reported cases, with Mr Kagwe saying 646 persons have been traced so far.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has vowed that the government will take the “severest action” against any individual who breaches guidelines given by the Ministry of Health with regard to the Covid-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic and endangers other Kenyans.

Speaking from State House in Nairobi Monday, President Kenyatta also announced that the government is working with Google Loon to help Kenyans in remote areas access internet services in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.