Cotu rejects new wages published by Labour CS

COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli during a previous event. [Courtesy]

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) has dismissed the recent gazette notice on wage increments, saying it does not reflect the 12 per cent increase as directed by President William Ruto.

Secretary General Francis Atwoli says the President announced a general wage increment yet what was published by the Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua is minimum wage.

He claims that since the announcement, some employers have been lobbying to have the directive watered down by substituting the general wage increase with a minimum wage.

“Such efforts not only undermine the spirit and intention of the President’s directive but also deny millions of Kenyan workers the benefits that were publicly promised by the Head of State,” he said in a statement.

Atwoli said a general wage increase and a minimum wage increase, are two distinct legal and policy interventions.

“While an increase in minimum wage benefits workers earning the statutory minimum, a general wage increase is intended to improve the earnings of workers across the wage structure, ensuring that inflation and the increasing cost of living do not continue to erode workers’ purchasing power,” said the Cotu SG.

Atwoli said during the May 1, 2026, Labour Day celebrations, President Ruto unequivocally announced a 12 per cent general wage increase for Kenyan workers and a 15 per cent wage increase for agricultural workers.

He said Kenyans were looking forward to this bump in their pay as a cushion to the rising cost of living.

However, on June 26, 2026, the CS, in a gazette notice, published basic minimum monthly wages that elicited a lot of reaction from Kenyans due to the set base salaries.

For example, househelps in Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, Nakuru and Eldoret should be paid Sh18,047 per month or Sh868.44 as daily wages. A watchman in these cities should be remunerated at Sh20,133 a month or Sh966.02 a day.

If the watchman is based on former municipalities, then the rate becomes Sh18,665 a month or Sh900 a day.

Atwoli insisted that CS Labour should urgently take the necessary legal and administrative measures to gazette the 12 per cent general wage increase exactly as announced by the President during the Labour Day celebrations.

“The will of the President, as publicly communicated to the nation and to Kenyan workers, should be faithfully implemented without alteration or dilution,” he said.