NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 14 – The integration of the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) with the Government Human Resource Information System has helped end the practice of borrowing to pay public servants’ salaries, Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o has said.
Nyakang’o said the integration has improved visibility over government payroll obligations and strengthened controls over the disbursement of funds for salaries, reducing the need for borrowing to meet recurrent expenditure.
She said the development would also improve the timeliness of salary payments by ensuring that funds released by the National Treasury are used for their intended purpose.
“The issue of borrowing to pay salaries is a thing of the past. It is not something we are going to be reporting on this year,” Nyakang’o said.
She attributed the change to the integration of the financial management and human resource systems, which she said had helped address gaps in the management of the government payroll and salary payments.
The Controller of Budget also noted that the National Treasury had become more punctual in releasing funds, linking the improved disbursement process to requirements that salary allocations be provided on time and paid without diversion.
“This is a very good development that is going to help us because then there are no excuses for borrowing to pay salaries.”
The integration is intended to strengthen accountability by linking employee records and payroll obligations with government financial management processes, helping authorities verify salary requirements and track the use of public funds.
The development comes amid continued pressure on the government to manage recurrent expenditure, meet statutory obligations and contain borrowing as it balances competing demands for limited public resources.
Salaries and wages account for a significant share of recurrent government expenditure, making timely disbursement important for public service delivery and the financial stability of government institutions.
However, the Controller of Budget’s remarks did not include figures quantifying the savings from the integration or the amount previously borrowed to meet salary obligations.
