NAIROBI, Kenya — President William Ruto has directed private security companies to comply with Kenya’s minimum wage laws, warning that firms paying guards as little as KSh6,000 a month will face closer scrutiny.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, on Thursday 6, August 2026, the President said all private security firms must immediately implement the 15% minimum wage increase he announced during this year’s Labour Day celebrations.
Ruto said reports that some security guards continue to receive between KSh6,000 and KSh8,000 despite the government’s wage directive were unacceptable.
“You have raised concern about your salaries. On June 1, I announced a 15 percent increase in the minimum wage, but I have been told that there are some companies which have not effected the change,” Ruto said.
“Others are not even paying the minimum wage; instead, they are giving between KSh6,000 and KSh8,000.”
The President directed the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Interior, and the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) to work together to ensure all security firms comply with labour laws.
“Our friends in the private security space, the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Interior, and the Private Security Regulatory Authority, we must work collaboratively to ensure that every security company operates within the parameters of the law,” he said.
Ruto maintained that the Executive Order raising the minimum wage remains legally binding and must be implemented by all employers.
Ready to engage employers
While insisting on compliance, the President said the government was willing to engage private security companies to understand any operational challenges affecting implementation of the wage increase.
He also instructed employers to ensure that statutory deductions are remitted on behalf of security officers.
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“As you pay their salaries, ensure that you pay their National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and Social Health Authority (SHA), so that they can have something to rely on once they retire,” he said.
The President made the remarks while hosting more than 27,000 private security officers at State House, Nairobi.
New directive on job title
In a separate directive, Ruto called for an end to the use of the term “watchman”, saying it undermines the dignity and professionalism of security personnel.
He instructed all government institutions, public offices and private employers to officially refer to them as private security officers.
The move, he said, is intended to recognise the important role security officers play in protecting lives and property while promoting greater respect for the profession.
The private security industry employs tens of thousands of Kenyans and remains one of the country’s largest formal employers, although workers’ unions have frequently raised concerns over low pay, delayed salaries and non-remittance of statutory deductions.
