Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection addressing the new wage directive during the 2nd Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Conference on quality skills development and apprenticeship at a Mombasa Resort/KNA
The Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection, Alfred Mutua, has put on notice employers who fail to comply with the new wage directive effective November 1, 2024.
The directive is in line with President’s William Ruto orders on Labour Day, which entails a 6 per cent minimum wage increase to a section of employees within the country.
Speaking during the 2nd Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Conference on quality skills development and apprenticeship at a Mombasa Resort, the CS noted that legal enforcement measures shall be taken on employers who failed to act accordingly.
“This wage adjustment is a step towards ensuring dignity and equity for our workers hence employers must comply. Failure to do this, there will be no compromise when it comes to the welfare of Kenyan workers,” he said.
The directive structure includes unskilled workers earning a minimum of Sh7,997 per month, skilled workers such as house servants and cooks earning Sh9,129 and general labourers in major cities like Nairobi and Mombasa earning up to Sh16,113.75.
Themed “Transforming apprenticeship systems in the informal economy for youth employability in Africa”, the forum seeks to culminate in the adoption of the Mombasa Declaration on advancing quality skills development, apprenticeship systems and economic transition in Africa.
The 3-day forum attended by over 500 delegates from across African countries shall serve as a blueprint for developing a competitive, innovative and resilient African workforce.
Mutua further called on participants to act with urgency in the shared vision in taking the African workforce from the informal to the formal economy through inclusive rights-based approaches and robust social protection systems.
Additionally, he reiterated the significance of implementing frameworks including ILO Recommendation No.208 that will provide a clear guidance for structured economic transition and enhanced apprenticeship systems.
“Africa cannot afford to be a marginal player in the global economy hence we must equip our young people with relevant, practical skills that align with current and future labour demands,” stated the CS.
