Pay & working terms · 3 min read
How to compare a Kenya job offer with the minimum wage
Choose the applicable industry, occupation, workplace zone and pay period before comparing a salary with the Gazette.
Choose the applicable industry, occupation, workplace zone and pay period before comparing a salary with the Gazette.
Use the current order for the relevant period
The 2026 General and Agricultural Industry wage amendments took effect on 1 May 2026. For work in that period, a screenshot of the 2024 schedule is not a current comparison. For an earlier period, identify the schedule that applied then.
Read the document name and effective date together. Publication and commencement dates can differ: these 2026 notices were published on 29 May but state an effective date of 1 May. Keep the original document with your comparison.
Identify the industry and actual duties
The General Order contains grouped occupations, sometimes with several job titles in one row. The Agricultural Industry Order has a separate list. A farm tractor driver and a general-category driver should not automatically be compared with the same table.
Compare the duties and employment arrangement, not only a short advert title. If the appropriate classification is unclear, ask the employer to explain which schedule and occupation it used and seek clarification from a labour officer when needed.
Choose the workplace zone accurately
The General Order city zone includes Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret. A second zone covers former municipalities and the town councils of Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru, with other areas in the third zone.
The actual workplace matters. A company’s Nairobi head office does not establish the location of a field or branch job. Record the duty station stated in the offer and use the statutory area description when comparing rates.
Keep housing and pay periods separate
The 2026 General Order’s heading describes monthly, daily and hourly rates as excluding housing allowance. The agricultural schedule describes consolidated minimum wages. Read the applicable housing and contractual terms before comparing a consolidated offer with a basic rate.
Use the published column for the relevant arrangement instead of deriving an hourly amount by dividing the monthly rate by an assumed number of hours. The checker displays the schedule entries and flags unclear printed cells rather than inventing corrections.
Document the question you need answered
Keep the offer, job duties, workplace, pay period and Gazette row together. Ask for a written explanation of the basic amount, housing treatment, ordinary hours, overtime and deductions. A net-pay estimate cannot answer whether the occupational classification is correct.
Where the comparison suggests a problem, contact the employer through its HR process or seek help from a labour officer with the documents. Work.ke’s tables make the source easier to inspect; they do not decide a disputed employment classification or an individual claim.
Sources and further reading
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