Govt Increases Minimum Salaries for Househelps, Security Guards, & Other Workers

The Government has announced a 6% rise in minimum wages for workers across various sectors.

Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua made the announcement in a gazette notice issued on Friday, October 11, to take effect from November 1st 2024.

“This adjustment ensures that wages align with economic conditions and improve the standard of living,” Mutua said.

The new wage schedule, outlined in the Labour Institutions Act Cap 234, sets the minimum wage for unskilled employees at Ksh7,997 per month, which amounts to Ksh335 per day.

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Stockmen and herdsmen will see their monthly earnings rise to Ksh9,235, equating to Ksh391 daily. These increases mark a significant step in recognising the hard work of these essential roles.

Skilled and semi-skilled workers will also benefit with house servants and cooks now set to earn a minimum of Ksh9,129 monthly, while a farm foreman will receive Ksh14,427.

In addition, farm clerks will earn the same amount, with other positions such as farm artisans, tractor drivers, and lorry drivers seeing wages set between Ksh9,000 and Ksh11,000 per month.

General labourers, including cleaners, sweepers, gardeners, children's ayahs, house servants, day watchmen, and messengers, will now earn a monthly minimum of Ksh16,113.75 up from Ksh15,201.

Miners, stone cutters, turnboys, waiters, cooks, loggers, and line cutters who initially earned Ksh16,417 will now receive Ksh17,402.97, which equates to Ksh836.50 per day.

Night watchmen who initially received Ksh16,959 will now be paid Ksh17,976.54 monthly which amounts to Ksh862 per day.

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Machine attendants, sawmill sawyers, machine assistants, mass production machinists, shoe cutters, bakery workers, bakery assistants, and tailor assistants will see their salaries increase from Ksh17,229 to Ksh18,263.27 per month which is a daily rate of Ksh877.

The monthly pay for machinists (made to measure), shoe upper preparers, chaplis makers, vehicle service workers (at petrol and service stations), bakery plant hands, laundry operators, junior clerks, and light wheel tractor drivers will now be Ksh20,848.40 up from Ksh19,668.

Printing machine operators, bakery machine operators, plywood machine operators, sawmill dressers, shop assistants, machine tool operators, dough makers, table hand bakers or confectioners, copy typists, and drivers of cars and light vans will earn a minimum of Ksh21,748.87 monthly up from Ksh20,517.

Pattern designers (draughtsmen), garment and dress cutters, single-hand oven operators, chargehand bakers, general clerks, telephone operators, receptionists, and storekeepers will receive Ksh24,818.31 per month up from Ksh23,413. Tailors and drivers of medium-sized vehicles who initially received Ksh25,804 will now have a basic salary of Ksh27,352.40.

Dyers, crawler tractor drivers, and salesmen will see their pay rise to Ksh30,196.64. Meanwhile, saw doctors and building caretakers will earn Ksh33,416.82, with a daily wage of Ksh1,609.

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Cashiers, drivers of heavy commercial vehicles, and salesman drivers will have their monthly salaries set at Ksh36,360.92 up from Ksh34,302.

Artisan wages have also been adjusted, with ungraded artisans now earning Ksh21,748.92. Artisan Grade III will be paid Ksh27,352.45, Grade II will receive Ksh29,542.36, and Artisan Grade I will make Ksh36,360.92.

The changes according to CS Mutua are a bid to improve the living standards for Kenyan workers.
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These wage adjustments will affect all sectors across the economy including the agricultural sector, manufacturing sector and other industries.

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