NAIROBI, Kenya — The government has confirmed that civil servants will receive another salary increase from July 1, 2026, as negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) enter the final stages.
Speaking on Wednesday, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said the government was close to concluding talks with the Kenya Union of Civil Servants on a new remuneration framework covering the next four years.
“I know there was a salary increment in January this year, but backdated to July last year. This year in July, there will be another salary increase,” Ruku said.
According to the CS, several meetings have already been held between the Ministry, union representatives, and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), with only a few issues remaining unresolved.
Among the outstanding matters is whether the salary increment will be rolled out gradually over four years or implemented as a lump-sum adjustment.
“So this is something we need to finalise, and the technical team together with the PS and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission should be finalising as much as possible so that we can have an agreement,” Ruku stated.
The upcoming CBA will guide the remuneration review cycle for the 2025/2026 to 2028/2029 period and is expected to determine salary adjustments, allowances, and benefits for thousands of public servants across the country.
“The Ministry is liaising with SRC and civil servants to finalise and sign the CBA for the remuneration review cycle 2025/2026 to 2028/2029,” the CS added.
The planned July salary review comes amid mounting pressure on the government to cushion workers against the rising cost of living, even as Treasury faces growing fiscal constraints and increasing public debt obligations.
Ruku said the government remained committed to ensuring civil servants are adequately compensated and motivated.
“We will continue to work closely with the union and all stakeholders to ensure that our public servants are well motivated,” he said.
The announcement follows an earlier decision by the SRC in December 2025 approving Phase I salary and allowance adjustments for civil servants under the 2025–2029 remuneration review cycle.
During consultations involving the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU), the commission approved revised basic salaries and leave allowances for employees across grades CSG1 to CSG17 and other designated job groups.
Under the revised framework, house allowances were grouped into three clusters. Cluster One covers Nairobi, Cluster Two includes major urban centres such as Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru, while Cluster Three applies to other towns and rural areas.
According to SRC, employees stationed in Nairobi stand to benefit the most from increased house allowances compared to workers posted in smaller towns.
For instance, officers in higher grades such as CSG4 are expected to earn basic salaries ranging between Sh185,690 and Sh396,130, with Nairobi-based staff eligible for house allowances of up to Sh140,600.
