More than 2,000 City Council of Mombasa workers made good their threat and downed their tools yesterday over pay.

The workers have not been paid their January and February salary arrears and allowances amounting to at least Sh100 million. The council has at least 2,650 workers.

Mombasa town clerk Tubman Otieno on Monday said they are yet to receive second disbursement of Sh400 million from the Local Authority Transfer Fund.

There was little work going on at the council yesterday. The workers were seated outside the town hall as they waited for their pay. Others stayed at home.

Kenya Local Government Workers Union Mombasa branch chairman Suleiman Mohamed yesterday said no communication has officially been given to them about their money.

"The only thing we heard is that the concerned people called the immediate former mayor Ahmed Mohdhar and told him the money is coming," said Mohamed at the council chambers.

Otieno, Mohamed, union brand secretary Rashid Muteti and Mombasa county commissioner Nelson Marwa were later held up in a closed door meeting over the issue.

He said the election period is over and now work should get back to normal.

The Commission for Revenue Allocation on Tuesday said the money should have been wired to the council account by Wednesday.

Yesterday, Otieno urged the workers to be patient saying he is pushing hard to have their money paid. He urged the workers to resume work for the benefit of the Mombasa residents.

"Let them be patient please. I understand their plight and suffering. We are working to sort out their issue. They will get at least something by the end of this week," said Otieno on phone.