Ruto Directs Salary Increment For Civil Servants In July

All Kenyan civil servants are slated for a comprehensive salary increase this July following a directive from President William Ruto to review pay and allowances across the entire public sector.

The announcement was made by Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku on Tuesday, June 23, during the Public Service Week celebrations at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

Key Highlights of the Pay Increase

Unlike standard basic salary adjustments, this upcoming review will tackle overall compensation. According to CS Ruku, the increments will reflect across:

• Gross Pay

• Housing Allowance

• Commuter Allowance

This upcoming bump follows the first phase of the 2025–2029 remuneration review cycle previously approved by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), which backdated initial adjustments to July 1, 2025.

Government Mandates Single Payroll System Migration

Alongside the pay rise announcement, the government is cracking down on payroll fragmentation. CS Ruku issued a strict directive ordering all ministries, state departments, state agencies, and county governments to immediately migrate to the centralized Human Resource Information System (HRIS).

“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.” — Geoffrey Ruku, Public Service CS

Strict One-Month Deadline

The government is taking a zero-tolerance approach to compliance. Institutions that fail to integrate into the HRIS platform within one month face severe penalties, including the complete suspension of their monthly salary remittances until they comply.