A deduction on your payslip is a promise, not proof. The money leaves your pay every month, but it only protects you once your employer has actually sent it to the right place. When it does not arrive, you find out years later, at the worst moment: when you try to claim a benefit, get treatment under your health cover or retire. A few minutes of checking every few months avoids that.

What should be coming off your pay

Three statutory deductions apply to most employees:

Start by comparing the figures on your payslip with these calculators. If the numbers differ, ask payroll to explain before you worry about where the money went. Our guide to reading your payslip line by line shows what each line means.

Checking NSSF

Your NSSF member account records each contribution under your member number. Check it through the fund's member services, using your ID number and the details the fund holds for you. Look for:

  • one contribution for every month you worked;
  • an employer share as well as your own;
  • the right employer name and the correct pay used for the calculation.

A month with no entry, or an entry far smaller than your deduction, is the signal to act. Keep a copy of the statement each time you check.

Checking SHIF

SHIF is the contribution that opens the door to public health cover. Check that your registration is active and that your contributions show up under your own identification number. If you pay through your employer, the contributions should appear without you doing anything. If treatment is refused because the system says you are not up to date, ask for the contribution record straight away rather than paying twice. Our article on what changed when SHIF replaced NHIF explains how the new system treats members.

Checking the Housing Levy

The levy is remitted through the tax authority's system, together with your PAYE return. You can see the employer's levy payments on the employer's own account, and your contribution is linked to your PIN. If you are concerned, ask your employer for the payment receipts for the levy, and compare the totals with the sum of your payslip deductions for the year. The same year-end figures appear on your P9 form, which our guide to filing your employment return with a P9 explains.

What to do if something is missing

  1. Ask payroll first, in writing. Name the month, the deduction and the amount you expected to see. Many gaps are timing delays or a wrong member number, not theft.
  2. Give them a short deadline to correct it, and keep a copy of your message.
  3. Escalate to the relevant fund or to KRA if the employer does not respond. An employer who deducts and does not pay over is breaking the law, and the funds can recover the arrears with penalties.
  4. Know your other rights. Our guide to when your employer does not remit your PAYE covers the same steps for tax.

For employers: a monthly routine that prevents disputes

Employers can avoid most of these problems with one simple routine. After every payroll run, pay each fund on time, keep the payment confirmation with the payroll file and tick it off on a schedule. The statutory remittance tracker is built for this, and the payroll run checklist covers the other steps in the month. Our employer obligations checklist lists every deadline in one place.

A good habit

Check your NSSF record twice a year and your SHIF status whenever your job changes. Rates and limits change over time, so use the calculators for the current figures rather than relying on an old payslip.

Keep your own records

Do not rely on the employer's files alone. Save every payslip as a PDF or photo, and keep a simple list with the month, the three deductions and the date you last checked each fund. If you change jobs, ask for a final payslip and a statement of what was paid over. This small file is the quickest way to settle a dispute, and it makes your annual return easier because the totals on your P9 should match what you have saved. If you find an error, it is much easier to correct it within weeks than after several years have passed.