Pay & working terms · 3 min read
Domestic worker rights in Kenya: pay, leave and contracts for house help
Why the Employment Act covers house helps and nannies, the 2026 minimum wage for house servants, and the basic terms both sides should write down.
House helps, nannies, cooks and gardeners are employees under Kenyan law, with the same minimum terms as office staff. Many work without anything in writing. Here is what the law sets and what a fair arrangement looks like.
The Employment Act applies
The Employment Act applies to all employees employed by any employer under a contract of service (section 3(1)). The only domestic exception is a family undertaking where the employer's own dependants are the only employees (section 3(2)(d)). A house help hired by a household is covered.
The Act's terms are minimums, and an agreement to give them up is void (section 3(6)).
Minimum pay in 2026
The 2026 General Wages Order lists house servants and children's ayahs in its first group of occupations, with general labourers and cleaners. The basic minimum monthly wage is KSh 18,047.40 in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret, KSh 16,650.95 in former municipalities and Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru, and KSh 9,628.07 in all other areas.
Those monthly figures exclude housing allowance. Where the worker is not given free housing, the General Order adds a housing allowance of 15 per cent of the basic minimum wage (paragraph 4). Live-in workers who are housed free do not get that allowance.
Leave, rest and notice
- At least one rest day in every seven days (section 27).
- At least 21 working days of paid annual leave after twelve months (section 28).
- Sick leave with a medical certificate after two months of service (section 30).
- Maternity leave of three months on full pay (section 29).
- Notice of twenty eight days for a worker paid monthly, unless the contract says more (section 35).
Write it down
A job expected to last three months or more must be in writing (section 9). A one page agreement protects both sides: duties, hours, rest day, pay and pay date, housing and food, leave, and notice. Pay into M-Pesa or a bank account so there is a record, and give a simple payslip each month.
Sources and further reading
Explore this topic
Frequently asked questions
Are house helps covered by the Employment Act in Kenya?
Yes. The Act applies to all employees under a contract of service. The only domestic exception is a family undertaking where only the employer's dependants work.
What is the minimum wage for a house help in Kenya in 2026?
The General Wages Order sets KSh 18,047.40 a month in the five big cities, less in other areas, plus 15 per cent housing allowance where the worker is not housed free.
Does a house help get annual leave?
Yes, at least 21 working days on full pay after twelve months of service (section 28).