Job Groups That Will Reap Biggest Gains in Sh2bn Pay Rise

Kenya’s civil servants are set to receive a Sh2.06 billion pay increase from July 2025 under a new four-year remuneration review approved by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

The adjustment marks the first phase of the 2025–2029 pay cycle and applies across all job groups, with increases varying by grade. The SRC said the changes are intended to update pay structures within the public service while remaining within approved wage limits.

Senior officers in Job Group T will see the maximum of their pay scale rise by Sh30,250 to Sh396,130. Those in Job Group S will receive an increase of up to Sh25,740, taking their ceiling to Sh292,490. In the middle bands, Job Group P will rise by Sh9,180 to Sh142,590, while Job Group N will increase by Sh7,310 to Sh103,440.

Lower-ranked staff in Job Groups C to K will each receive a uniform increase of Sh1,780. These groups will also be entitled to a standard annual leave allowance of Sh6,500.

In a circular dated 19 December 2025, the SRC confirmed that the cost of the first phase will be Sh2.06 billion in the 2025/26 financial year. The commission said unionisable staff will continue to negotiate pay changes through Collective Bargaining Agreements.

The review also restructures several allowances. Entertainment, extraneous and domestic servant benefits have been combined into a single Salary Market Adjustment, intended to simplify compensation and align pay with current economic conditions.

Despite the increases, civil servants will continue to face mandatory deductions. These include contributions of 2.75 percent to the Social Health Insurance Fund, six per cent to the National Social Security Fund, and 1.5 percent under the Housing Levy, reducing net take-home pay.

The pay review comes as the government seeks to control public sector wage costs. In April 2024, President William Ruto said the administration aimed to cut the wage bill from 46 per cent to 35 per cent of total revenue within three years. 

Proposed measures included reducing excess staffing, reviewing casual employment, and removing workers with fraudulent academic qualifications.

Kenya’s civil service employs about 1.05 million people and spent Sh1.25 trillion on salaries and allowances in the 2024/25 financial year.