NAIROBI, Kenya — Thousands of Kenyan public servants are set to receive a fresh salary increase from July after President William Ruto directed a review of salaries and allowances across the public service.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku during Public Service Week celebrations at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), where he said the adjustments would apply to all government employees.
According to Ruku, the review will cover not only basic salaries but also key allowances paid to public servants, including housing and commuter allowances.
“President William Ruto and his government are increasing the salaries of all public servants in July this year. It will be gross pay, housing allowance, and commuter allowance, which will be increased once more in July this year,” Ruku said.
The move is expected to benefit employees across ministries, state departments, agencies, commissions and other public institutions.
The latest announcement comes months after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) implemented the first phase of the 2025–2029 public sector remuneration review cycle.
Under that review, civil servants received salary and allowance adjustments that were backdated to July 1, 2025, with SRC indicating that the implementation would be carried out in phases.
The commission said the review was intended to maintain competitiveness in public sector compensation while aligning remuneration with prevailing economic conditions and the government’s fiscal framework.
The new increase announced by the government is expected to build on those earlier adjustments, although officials have not yet disclosed the exact percentage increments.
At the same event, Ruku announced sweeping reforms aimed at improving accountability and efficiency in public sector payroll management.
The Cabinet Secretary directed all ministries, state departments, agencies and county governments to migrate their payroll systems to the government’s Human Resource Information System (HRIS).
He said the directive was issued by President Ruto as part of efforts to streamline human resource management and eliminate inefficiencies in the public sector.
“To ensure efficiency and proper use of public resources and taxes, the President has directed that all ministries, county governments, agencies, and state departments must be on one payroll platform, the Human Resource Information System,” Ruku said.
Ruku warned that institutions that fail to comply with the directive within one month could face serious consequences.
He stated that salary processing for non-compliant entities could be suspended until they are fully integrated into the unified payroll platform.
“All departments that will not have complied within one month will not remit your salaries,” he said.
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The government argues that consolidating payroll management under a single system will help address cases of payroll fraud, improve workforce planning and strengthen oversight of public expenditure.
The announcement forms part of broader reforms being pursued by the government to modernise public administration, improve accountability and enhance service delivery.
Officials say integrating payroll systems through HRIS will provide real-time workforce data, reduce duplication and ensure that taxpayer funds are used efficiently.
The latest salary review is also expected to be welcomed by public servants who have faced rising living costs amid ongoing economic pressures.
Further details on the new salary structure and revised allowances are expected to be released ahead of the July implementation date.
