On Wednesday January 31, Labour CS Florence Bore revealed that Kenya would be using the Regulation of Wages (General) (Amendment) Order 2022 to calculate basic minimum monthly wages.
The minimum wage structure which was prepared by the now Cooperatives CS Simon Chelugui categorises salaries according to different demographics.
The categories include Kenyans working in cities, all former municipalities and town councils of Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru, and the rest of the country.
General Labourers
This category includes cleaners, sweepers, gardeners, children nannies, house servants, day watchmen and messengers.
Those working in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Naivasha, are entitled to a salary of Ksh15,202.
General labourers in the former municipalities receive a monthly salary of Ksh14,025 with the rest of the country paying Ksh8,109.
Miners
This category also encompasses stone cutters, turn boys, waiters, cooks, loggers and line cutters.
The aforementioned receive a salary of Ksh16,417 in Kenyan cities with those working in the former municipalities receiving a wage of Ksh14,566.
For the rest of the category, the workers get paid a paltry 9,370.
Night Watchmen
Those working in the cities receive a daily rate of Ksh813 translating to Ksh16,959 per month.
For night security guards working in all former municipalities and town councils of Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru, the monthly salary is Ksh15,722 with the rest of the night watchmen being paid Ksh9,672.
Machine Attendants
The category is broad and covers sawmill sawyer, machine assistant, mass production mechanist and shoe cutter.
Bakery worker and their assistants as well as tailors assistants are also placed in this category.
The salary is Ksh17,729, Ksh16,033 and Ksh12,995 for workers in cities, former municipalities and the rest of the country respectively.
Machinist
Workers under this category are shoe upper preparers, chaplis makers, vehicle service workers (petrol and service stations), bakery plant hands, laundry operators, junior clerks and wheel tractor drivers.
Hourly rates for those working in the cities, the hourly rates are Ksh176 which translate to a monthly wage of Ksh19,668.
The salary is Ksh18,399 and Ksh15,043 for those working in the former municipalities and other parts of the country respectively.
Print operators
Workers in this category are split into; Printing machine operators, bakery machine operators, plywood machine operators, sawmill dressers and shop assistants.
Others include machine tool operators, dough makers, table hand bakers or confectioners, copy typists, and drivers (cars and light vans).
The Kenya government dictates a payment of Ksh20,517, Ksh18,936 and Ksh15,652 for those working in cities, former municipalities and the rest of the country.
Designers
The category encompasses pattern designer (draughts-man), garment and dress cutter, single-hand oven man, charge-hand baker general clerk, telephone operator receptionist, and storekeeper.
Those working in the city earn a sizeable sum of Ksh23,413 per month with those working in all former municipalities and town councils of Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru taking home Ksh18,936.
For the rest of the country, the Ministry of Labour dictates a minimum wage of Ksh18,251.
Tailors and Drivers (medium-sized vehicles)
It is against the law to pay workers in this cluster less than Ksh25,804, Ksh23,716 and Ksh21,147 for workers in cities, former municipalities and the rest of the country respectively.
Saw doctor and building caretakers
This is the first category of low-income earners to earn more than Ksh30,000 basic salary.
The salary is divided into Ksh31,525, Ksh29,437 and Ksh27,423 for the city, former municipalities and the rest of the country workers respectively.
Cashier, Driver (Heavy Commercial Vehicles) and Salees-man Driver
The daily rate for those working in Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa and Naivasha cities is Ksh1,651 translating to Ksh34,302 per month.
Those working in all former municipalities and town councils of Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru earn Ksh32,280 with the rest earning Ksh30,266 per month.
Artisans
This category is divided into Ungraded Artisans, Grade 1, 2 and 3 Artisans.
Again, the workers are divided into tier 1 (cities), tier 2 ( all former municipalities and town councils of Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru) and tier 3 (rest of the country).
From top tier to bottom, ungraded artisans earn Ksh20,517, Ksh18,936 and Ksh15,652.
Artisan Grade 3 gets paid Ksh25,804, Ksh23,716 and Ksh21,107 for tiers 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
For Grade 2 artisans, the salary is Ksh27,870, Ksh26,579 and Ksh23,988 for cities, former municipalities and the rest of the country respectively.
If you are a Grade 1 artisan, you will earn Ksh34,302 working in Nairobi and other cities and Ksh32,280 working in all former municipalities and town councils of Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru.
Grade 1 artisans working elsewhere in the country get paid Ksh30,266 monthly minimum wage.
