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How much civil servants will take home after Ruto’s pay rise directive
02nd July, 2026 03:55 PM
All civil servants are set for a fresh salary increase from July after President William Ruto directed a review of pay and allowances across the public service.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku announced the move on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, during Public Service Week celebrations at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), saying the adjustments will affect all public servants.
”Reference is made to your letters Ref. No. MPS&HCD.12 dated September 2, 2025, on the guidelines for negotiations on the 4 remuneration and benefits review cycle 2025-2029 and Ref. No. MPSP&DM/9/1 dated December 11, 2025, on the above subject,” the circular sent to Public Service PS Jane Imbunya read in part.
With the highly anticipated increase, the exact amount employees will take home remains unknown pending the release of new salary scales by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
Expected salary increase
However, according to Ruku, the salary review will not only target basic pay but will also include key allowances paid to government workers; hence, every single civil servant is expected to have an increase in both their basic salary and key allowances.
“President William Ruto and his government are increasing the salaries of all public servants in July this year. It will be gross pay, housing allowance, and commuter allowance, which will be increased once more in July this year,” Ruku announced.
”The approved Basic Salary structure and Leave Allowance should be implemented with effect from July 1, 2025, at a cost of Ksh2,065,701,510 for the Financial Year 2025/2026.”
Ruku said the directive applies to all ministries, state departments, state agencies, and county governments as part of efforts to enhance accountability and improve management of public resources.
He revealed that the directive had been issued by President Ruto and warned that institutions that fail to comply within one month risk severe consequences.
“To ensure efficiency and proper use of public resources and taxes, the President has directed that all ministries, county governments, agencies, and state departments must be on one payroll platform, the Human Resource Information System,” Ruku said.
The CS has further warned that non-compliant institutions could have their salary remittances suspended until they are fully integrated into the platform.
Following the directive issued by President Ruto and announced by Public Service CS Ruku, the government is implementing Phase II of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
This latest round of reviews targets gross pay, housing allowances, and commuter allowances.
Civil servants will see a net take-home salary boost ranging between Ksh1,000 and Ksh55,364 per month, depending on their specific job group.
1. Low-to-mid cadre workers (Job groups C to N)
Job Groups K–C: An increment of +Ksh1,800, pushing standard base earnings up to roughly Ksh22,000.
Job Group L: An increment of +Ksh1,900, moving total basic pay up to Ksh68,000.
Job Group N: An increment of +Ksh7,000, with new base earnings hitting Ksh103,000.
Entry-Level Minimum: The absolute lowest-paid civilian desk structures move from Ksh21,700 up to Ksh28,690.
2. Senior public servants (Job Groups P to T)
Job Group P: An increment of +Ksh9,000, bringing pay up to Ksh142,000.
Job Group R: An increment of +Ksh2,800, bringing pay up to Ksh185,000.
Job Group S: An increment of +Ksh25,700, shifting base pay up to Ksh292,000.
Job Group T (highest cadre): An increment of +Ksh30,000, pushing top civil service base salaries up to Ksh396,000 (with some specialised scales reaching up to Ksh 451,494).
3. Allowance adjustments
Housing and commuter perks: Beyond basic pay, the take-home figures will include freshly expanded house allowance structures tiered by urban clusters (with Nairobi staff receiving the highest adjustment cushion to counter high urban rents).
NGAO risk perks: National Government Administration Officers (including local Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs) will take home an additional specialised security risk allowance added directly to their monthly pay.
