A new minimum wage order took effect on 1 May 2026. If you employ staff, or if you work in a role covered by the wage orders, the amount you must pay changed. This article summarises the order and gives a short checklist for employers. As the schedule is long and lists many occupations, always check your job category and area in the official gazette notice.

The order

The Regulation of Wages (General) (Amendment) Order, 2026 was published as Legal Notice No. 95 in the Kenya Gazette Supplement of 29 May 2026 and is deemed to have come into operation on 1 May 2026. It deletes the earlier schedule and replaces it with a new schedule of basic minimum monthly, daily and hourly wages, exclusive of housing allowance. Companion amendments were made to the agricultural industry order for the same date.

The headline figure

For a general labourer (which includes a cleaner, sweeper, gardener, children's ayah, house servant, day watchman and messenger) the monthly minimum in the largest cities, Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret, is KES 18,047.40 before housing allowance. The earlier figure from 1 November 2024 was KES 16,113.75, so this is an increase of about 12 percent. Lower minimums apply in former municipalities and in all other areas. Other occupations, such as miners, waiters, cooks and drivers, have their own, higher rates in the schedule.

Use the minimum wage calculator for the covered figures, and read how to check the minimum wage for your job for how to find your category.

Housing allowance

The wage orders say the minimum is exclusive of housing allowance. An employer who does not provide housing must pay a separate housing allowance, commonly 15 percent of basic pay, unless the contract states that the pay is consolidated with housing included. If your contract says the pay includes housing, make sure the total still meets the minimum plus the allowance. This is a frequent source of underpayment.

What employers must do

  1. Find your categories. Match each employee's job to an occupation in the order and note the area column that applies (city, former municipality or other).
  2. Compare current pay. If the employee earns less than the new minimum, raise it from 1 May 2026.
  3. Pay arrears if needed. Because the order is deemed to have taken effect on 1 May, an employer who did not apply the new rate from that date may owe the difference for the months since. Calculate and pay it, and document the adjustment.
  4. Update contracts or issue a notice showing the new pay.
  5. Recalculate statutory deductions. Higher pay raises NSSF, SHIF, housing levy and PAYE. Use the PAYE calculator, housing levy calculator and net to gross salary calculator.
  6. Update the budget. The cost of an employee is more than the wage: see the staff cost and headcount budget.
  7. Keep evidence that you checked and applied the order: payslips, the gazette copy and a note of the date.

What employees can do

Compare your payslip with the schedule. If your job is listed and you are paid below the minimum, raise it with your employer in writing, citing the order and the date. If that fails, contact the county labour office, which can inspect and advise. Understand the deductions on your pay in read your payslip line by line.

Casual and part-time workers

The orders include daily and hourly rates, so casual and part-time workers must be paid at least the rate for the time worked. See casual workers and daily wage employees and the weekly casual wages sheet.

Overtime

Overtime is paid at 1.5 times the normal hourly rate on normal days and twice the rate on rest days and public holidays. A higher base wage means higher overtime pay: overtime pay rules and tax in Kenya and the overtime pay calculator.

Penalties for non-compliance

An employer who underpays can be required to pay the arrears and can be prosecuted. Labour officers can issue compliance orders, and employees can go to the Employment and Labour Relations Court.

Frequently asked questions

Does the minimum wage apply to domestic workers? Yes. House servants and similar roles are covered in the general labourer category and other listed occupations.

Is housing allowance included in the minimum? No. The schedule is exclusive of housing allowance, so unless housing is provided, the allowance is payable on top.

Can an employer pay less during probation? No. The minimum wage applies from the first day of employment.

Where can I read the order? The Kenya Gazette and Kenya Law publish it, and many accounting firms have posted copies of the schedule.