Atwoli clarifies 12% wage increase applies to all workers

COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli has clarified President William Ruto’s recent Labour Day wage announcement, stating that the 12 per cent salary increment is a general wage increase for all Kenyan workers, not just a minimum wage adjustment.
Speaking to the media on Saturday May 2, 2026, Atwoli rejected suggestions that the increase only applied to minimum wage earners, asserting that the President’s announcement was comprehensive.
“The 12 per cent wage increase was not a minimum wage increase. It was a general wage increase, and you heard the President himself announcing it,” Atwoli explained.
He clarified that the 15 per cent increment for agricultural workers is a separate measure specific to that sector, while the 12 per cent adjustment applies to workers nationwide.
“There is a difference between minimum wage and a general wage increase. Fifteen per cent was a minimum wage increase for agricultural sector workers, but all Kenyans… are entitled to the 12 per cent wage increase,” he stated.
Atwoli revealed that President Ruto personally addressed the issue after Labour Day, instructing Labour Ministry officials to implement the announcement as a nationwide wage increase rather than a minimum wage revision.
“This is a general wage increase, and the President clarified it… He told the Minister for Labour that this is not a minimum wage increase; I have given Kenyans a general wage increase,” Atwoli noted.
He also criticized the Federation of Kenya Employers for suggesting otherwise, stating that their position misrepresented the government’s announcement.
“Let Jacqueline Mugo of FKE be told that this is a general wage increase. Let it not be mistaken,” he said.
During Labour Day celebrations at Chavakali High School, President Ruto announced the wage adjustments, stating they aim to protect workers against inflation and improve living standards as part of the government’s economic transformation agenda.