Salary guide · Kenya
Cleaner minimum wage in Kenya
Compare the general labourer, cleaner, sweeper, gardener, children’s ayah, house servant, day watchman and messenger wage category in the 2026 General Order, effective 1 May 2026.
This page shows schedule row 1 of Legal Notice 95 of 2026. Its occupation wording is: General labourer, cleaner, sweeper, gardener, children’s ayah, house servant, day watchman and messenger. Use the whole category when identifying the correct rate, because similar job titles can fall under different rows or industry orders.
| Area / industry | Monthly | Daily | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret cities | 18,047.40 | 868.44 | 161.34 |
| All former municipalities and the town councils of Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru | 16,650.95 | 797.80 | 147.45 |
| All other areas | 9,628.07 | 487.94 | 90.17 |
These are statutory minimum rates for the named category, not a survey of typical earnings and not take-home pay. The corrected 2026 General Order labels monthly rates as exclusive of housing allowance, and daily and hourly rates as inclusive of it.
Day watchman belongs to this grouped row
The General Order groups day watchman with cleaners and other general labourers. Night watchman has its own row. A domestic or cleaning title should be compared with the duties and applicable industry, rather than with every job that happens to involve physical work.
Use this table with the written offer
Record the occupation group as schedule row 1 of Legal Notice 108 of 2026, effective 1 May 2026. Keep the duty station and pay period beside that reference. Under the heading of this schedule, monthly figures exclude housing allowance, and daily and hourly figures include it.
If the duties or area classification are unclear, ask the employer to identify the applicable category and seek clarification from a labour officer. The linked checker displays the statutory entries; the net salary tool estimates deductions for a separate regular-monthly-pay scenario.
Sources
Checked 26 September 2026. Each figure retains the period and scope of its source.
Related jobs and guidance
Cleaning jobs in Kenya (2 open) · Application guidance · Minimum-wage tables · Net salary calculator