Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has directed employees to pay house helps at least Ksh18,047 per month.
CS Mutua issued the directive vide a legal notice dated Friday, June 5, stating that the new changes take effect immediately. The rule also applies to gardeners, day watchmen, messengers and sweepers
Domestic workers will enjoy a Ksh1,934 increase to their minimum wage of Ksh16,113 in 2024. This new minimum pay applies to domestic workers hired in Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret, and Kisumu.
The Labour CS instructed that employers in former municipalities such as Ruiru, Mavoko and Limuru will be required to pay domestic workers a minimum of Ksh16,550.
Meanwhile, he set the minimum wage for workers in smaller towns at a minimum of Ksh9,268 per month.
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Employers who breach the directive risk a three-month jail term or a fine of Ksh50,000 if found culpable by a court of law.
The announcement came following President William Ruto's declaration to increase the minimum wage of general workers by 12 percent during the Labour Day Celebrations.
Ruto further announced a 15 percent increase in the minimum wage of agricultural workers in the country.
Earlier, Mutua stated that implementing the President's directive would not only put more money in the pockets of workers across the country but also boost consumer spending and accelerate economic growth.
He reiterated that the Kenya Kwanza government was committed to improving the livelihoods of all Kenyans.
The Labour Boss urged the Private Sector to comply with the new guidelines as they reviewed their staff remuneration plans in their Human Resource policies.
He also directed all government agencies to review the pay for the minimum workers to match the new directive.
Other than increasing the minimum wage, the state is considering doing away with Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxes for Kenyan earning up to Ksh30,000 to cushion low-income households from high taxes.
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