The specifics of the minimum wage are set forth in labor laws in many nations.
The minimum wage in Kenya is subject to periodic review and is defined as the lowest amount that an employer is required to pay a wage earner for work completed in a given period of time.
It cannot be decreased through individual or collective bargaining agreements.
In 2022, the minimum wage in Kenya was revised. The 12% increase was driven by the steep rise in the cost of living over the previous years.
In 2019, the Kenyan government ordered employers in urban areas to pay their house managers and other domestic workers a minimum wage of KSh 13,572.
The government specifically cited Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa as the regions where increment was supposed to be effected.
The state also set the minimum monthly salary for house helps in municipalities at KSh 12,522, whereas those located in other areas were ordered to pay them KSh 7,240 per month.
Long gone are the days when house helps were paid a meagre salary.
In this article, we compile a list of Kenyans celebrities who pay their helps handsomely:
Vera Sidika
Vera Sidika was born on September 30, 1989, in the coastal city of Mombasa. She is regarded as one of Kenya’s most controversial female celebrities due to her extraordinary and lavish lifestyle.
She was thrust into the limelight after appearing in P-Unit’s single, “You Guy”, released in 2012.
Afterwards, Vera used all means, including bleaching her skin and increasing the size of her hips and ‘nyonyo’ to achieve the ‘perfect shape’. This earned her thousands of ‘admirers’ on Instagram, where she has over 2.3 million followers.
The socialite dated several men before finally settling down with Mombasa-based musician Brown Mauzo.
On October 20, 2021, Sidika and Mauzo welcomed their first child, Asia Brown.
The socialite-turned-musician revealed to her fans that she hired two nannies to look after her daughter.
In January, Vera said she prefers over 40-year-olds to work for her and shouldn’t be on social media.
“I prefer over 40-year-olds because they are the best. These 20-something-year-olds aren’t my style. I pay her (nanny) over KSh 40k,” she said.
Diana Marua
Socialite-turned-musician Diana Marua is married to her fellow singer Kelvin Kioko alias Bahati.
YouTube has ranked Diana among the top local creators after she launched her music career.
A week ago, she was listed in position eight on the list of African female musicians with the highest subscribers on YouTube.
She boasts over 1000,000 subscribers on the platform.
The mother of two is expecting a third child with Bahati.
In March, while appearing on NTV, Diana’s nanny, Irene Nekesa, disclosed she takes home KSh 100,000 as a monthly salary.
Current minimum wage in Kenya
Kenya’s minimum wage rate is set by the government by location, age, and level of skill. On Labour Day 2022, President Kenyatta announced the government had raised the minimum wage in Kenya from KES 13,572 to KES 15,201. This was a 12% increase.
Since then, numerous people have been curious to know what the minimum wage in Kenya in 2024 is. It is worth noting that no significant changes have been made since May 2022, and the rates given then are the latest.
Kenyans should note that the minimum wage rates given only apply to people in the formal sector. Those in the informal sector may not necessarily follow the guidelines because market forces and individual agreements determine payments.
According to the 2022 revision, the minimum wage in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa is KES 15,201 per month. In Kenya, the minimum wage is divided into that of general workers and agricultural workers.
