President William Ruto has read the riot act to private security companies that have been shortchanging their workers, directing them to immediately implement the government-approved minimum wage of Ksh30,000 or face the full force of the law.
Speaking on Thursday, August 6, during a historic meeting with thousands of private security officers at State House, Nairobi, the President expressed outrage that some firms were still paying guards as little as Ksh6,000 or Ksh7,000 a month, despite his Labour Day directive that minimum wages be increased by 15 per cent.
“On May 1 this year, I issued a directive on minimum wage to be increased by 15 per cent, but I have been told that many companies have refused to implement it. Today I am warning them,” Ruto said.
The President termed the practice illegal and inhumane, insisting that no employer should pay workers below the government-approved minimum wage. He directed the Ministries of Interior and Labour, together with the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA), to work collaboratively and ensure all private security companies operate within the parameters of the law.
“The law of Kenya says that it is inhumane for a person to pay below the minimum wage,” Ruto stated firmly. He added that compliance with the minimum wage is non-negotiable, warning that the government would not tolerate any company exploiting its workers.
The President also took issue with the awarding of government security contracts to firms that fail to comply with labour laws. He said companies that underpay their workers should not be considered for public tenders, and warned procuring entities against awarding contracts solely based on the lowest bid if it comes at the expense of workers' rights.
“The lowest bidder cannot be the one who does not pay minimum wage to these people. You cannot award a security contract to a security company that does not pay their employees minimum wage,” Ruto declared.
In addition to the salary directive, Ruto ordered private security companies to ensure all mandatory statutory deductions are fully remitted. These include contributions to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHA), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and the Affordable Housing Levy.
The breakdown of the Ksh30,000 gross salary includes a minimum basic pay of Ksh18,994, house allowance of Ksh2,850, and overtime allowance of Ksh8,157. After statutory deductions, which include NSSF (Ksh1,080), SHA (Ksh825), PAYE (Ksh1,229), and the Affordable Housing Levy (Ksh450), private security officers take home approximately Ksh26,415 at the end of the month.
The President further issued a 60-day deadline to the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Labour, PSRA, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, and the National Police Service to implement the directives and report back on progress.
Beyond wages, Ruto announced a raft of reforms aimed at improving the welfare, professionalism, and recognition of private security officers. He said a taskforce comprising the ministries of Interior and Labour, PSRA, the National Police Service, and the private security industry has been established to prepare a clear framework on how to improve the officers' welfare within 60 days.
The taskforce will also harmonise and strengthen training standards and provide clarity in career progression, enabling officers to advance through the profession based on performance and experience.
In what many saw as a symbolic move to restore the dignity of security workers, Ruto directed that all references to “watchman” and “guard” be expunged from all Government documents, describing the terms as a colonial relic that must be discarded. Going forward, the officers will officially be referred to as “private security officers”.
“Kazi ni kazi na hii yenu ni kazi. Kwa sababu hiyo, yale maneno ya 'watchman' ilikuwa ni madharau ya mkoloni,” Ruto said in part Kiswahili, meaning work is work, and the term watchman was colonial disrespect.
The President acknowledged the critical role private security officers play in safeguarding homes, schools, hospitals, factories, farms, and places of worship, describing them as indispensable partners in maintaining national security.
“Due to this critical role, private security officers deserve better pay, decent working conditions and greater respect for the vital role they play in protecting lives, businesses and public institutions,” Ruto said.
The State House meeting, which brought together more than 5,000 private security officers, marked the first-ever engagement between a Kenyan Head of State and workers from the private security sector. It came about four years after the government published a gazette notice compelling employers to pay private security officers a minimum of Sh30,000 in gross pay per month, with penalties including a Ksh2 million fine and possible imprisonment for non-compliance.
The President's latest directive signals that the government is now moving from policy to enforcement, putting private security firms on notice that the era of exploiting guards is coming to an end.
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