The country's finance minister had said earlier that the striking workers' demand, which would nearly triple the government's wage bill from 97 billion kwacha to 276 billion kwacha , was impossible. 
Mapema, Waziri wa Fedha alisema kuwa, matakwa ya wafanyakazi, ambayo yanakaribia mara tatu ya malipo ya mishahara inayotolewa na serikali kwa sasa kutoka kwacha bilioni 97 hadi kwacha milioni 276 , hayawezekani.