NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, and Supreme Court judges are set to receive a pay rise starting July 1, even as Kenya grapples with a ballooning wage bill and fiscal constraints.
According to Treasury documents, the combined annual pay for the President and his deputy will increase from KSh 36 million to KSh 42 million—marking a 16% jump.
Judges will also see their salaries rise, with their total pay allocation increasing by KSh 500 million, from KSh 3.1 billion to KSh 3.6 billion.
However, the exact breakdown of the increment for individual judges remains unclear.
If implemented, Ruto’s monthly salary could rise from KSh 1.4 million to KSh 1.6 million, while Kindiki’s pay could grow from KSh 1.2 million to KSh 1.4 million.
Treasury has not provided a detailed structure of the new pay scales, but currently, the President earns a basic salary of KSh 866,250, a house allowance of KSh 300,000, and a market adjustment of KSh 227,500.
The Deputy President’s salary package includes a KSh 736,313 basic pay, KSh 300,000 for housing, and a market adjustment of KSh 190,875.
The proposed salary increments come at a time when the government is under pressure to cut spending.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi recently emphasized that Kenya’s fiscal policy will focus on expenditure rationalization and revenue mobilization.
However, critics argue that the wage bill—already nearing KSh 2 trillion—remains unsustainable.
Latest data shows Kenya’s public wage bill has surged to KSh 1.7 trillion, a sharp rise from KSh 1.1 trillion in the 2022-23 financial year.
This has been compounded by underwhelming revenue collection, with nearly 60% of all tax revenues going toward debt servicing.
Meanwhile, civil servants, doctors, teachers, and other public workers have been pushing for pay hikes, citing the high cost of living.
At the county level, Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) and speakers are renewing their demand for better perks, including reinstating a plenary sitting allowance and introducing a pension scheme similar to that of MPs and senators.
Over 2,000 MCAs plan to present their demands directly to President Ruto at an upcoming conference.
In addition to the salary adjustments, Treasury data indicates that government pension expenses will rise by KSh 11 billion starting July, increasing from KSh 223 billion to KSh 234 billion—a 5% jump.
Ordinary pension payments are set to increase from KSh 93 billion to KSh 100 billion, while gratuity payments for civil servants exiting the service will total KSh 93 billion.
Military personnel will receive the highest increase in gratuity payments, with an allocation set to rise by KSh 13 billion.
Despite years of warnings about the growing wage bill, Treasury has struggled to contain recurrent expenditure.
Last year, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) was forced to suspend a planned salary hike for state officers, including MPs, following public outcry during the Gen Z protests.
However, MPs—who initially rejected the pay raise—have since complained about being underpaid.
