Kenya workers get pay boost

Labour minister John Munyes calms a section of the crowd that interrupted his speech during Labour Day celebrations at Uhuru Park on Friday. The government announced a minimum wage raise for Kenya workers. Photo/ANTHONY KAMAU

What you need to know:

  • Minimum wage for agriculture workers is at Sh3,043 and for those under the general category in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu cities will get Sh6,130.
  • Workers shouted as the Turkana North MP extolled the government’s achievements.

The Government has raised the minimum wage for Kenyan workers.

In a speech read on his behalf by Labour minister John Munyes, President Kibaki said the increment was due to the rising cost of living and in order to protect workers who are not covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreements.

"I direct that the statutory minimum wage be increased with immediate effect," Mr Munyes announced, amid applause from the workers who only seconds earlier were hostile to him.

He set the minimum wage for agriculture workers at Sh3,043 and for those under the general category in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu cities at Sh6,130.

Workers in all municipalities including Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru Town Councils will now pocket Sh5,655 while those in "all the other areas" will get Sh3,270.

"I would like to urge all of you to continue working hard so that we can achieve our development objectives as contained in our Vision 2030," the President said in his speech.

Earlier, Mr Munyes who was the chief guest was jeered when he stood to speak and announced that he had been sent by President Kibaki to deliver his message.

The workers kept on shouting as the Turkana North MP tried to extol the government’s achievements, efforts to cushion them from the global financial crisis, create more jobs and improve infrastructure.

The minister who was accompanied by his Education colleague Sam Ongeri was forced to skip part of the presidential speech and announce the wage increment.

The minimum wage for workers in the industrial sector was last raised in 2006 when it went up from Sh4,817 to Sh5,395.

The increment came at a time when the country is faced with numerous problems including famine, high costs of basic commodities, increased unemployment, inflation, retrenchments, insecurity and political squabbles.

The main reasons for instituting minimum wages is to empower workers whose wages are constrained by excessive market power of the employer.

Kenya has been having effective minimum wage policy since independence.

Central Organisation of Trade Unions secretary general Mr Atwoli welcomed the increment.

He said it was a good platform for workers to bargain for more.

Key government personalities including President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka did not attend the celebrations marked worldwide.