The Murang’a County Government has announced a temporary freeze on new recruitment following a High Court directive requiring counties to cap personnel expenditure at 35 per cent of their total budgets.
In a public notice issued Friday, Governor Irungu Kang’ata said the county would realign its staffing strategy to comply with the ruling while safeguarding service delivery and protecting existing jobs.
The directive stems from a petition filed by Eliud Matindi against the State Law Office and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, challenging salary adjustments that exceeded the constitutional wage threshold.
County officials described the hiring pause as a necessary step to restore fiscal discipline without disrupting essential services.
“To align with the law and maintain fiscal discipline, the County will pause new hiring,” read part of the notice, adding that all current employees would retain their positions.
The administration also sought to allay fears of additional financial pressure on residents, clarifying that compliance would not be achieved through increased taxes or introduction of new levies.
Instead, Governor Kang’ata said his government would intensify automation of revenue collection systems, strengthen oversight to seal leakages and improve operational efficiency to boost internally generated revenue.
Beyond the freeze, the county announced a review of positions that had already been advertised, noting that only a limited number would proceed. Recruitment, the notice stated, would be confined to facilities that have been fully constructed but remain non-operational due to staffing shortages.
Among the health facilities earmarked for priority staffing are Mabae Dispensary in Gatanga, the new ward at Kandara Hospital, Karinga Dispensary in Kigumo, Kangangu Dispensary in Kenol, Maragwa, Gitui Dispensary in Kiharu, Ngoeini Dispensary in Kangema and Nyakianga Hospital in Mathioya.
Kang’ata argued that operationalizing these facilities is critical to ensuring value for money, noting that they were built using public funds and should serve the communities as intended.
“Leaving completed facilities unused would amount to inefficient utilization of taxpayer resources,” the notice stated, adding that limited recruitment in such cases is justified to protect service delivery even as overall hiring is curtailed.
The county government reiterated its commitment to responsible budgeting, legal compliance and uninterrupted service delivery, describing the transition as a balanced response rather than a blanket austerity measure.
In a ruling delivered on January 30, 2026, Justice Lawrence Mugambi held that both national and county governments had violated the Constitution by implementing salary increases without adhering to the legally mandated 35 per cent wage-bill-to-revenue ratio.
The judgment directed governments to take corrective action to restore compliance, setting the stage for the measures now being implemented in Murang’a County.
By Bernard Munyao
