2026 Minimum Pay for Drivers by Area

The Regulation of Wages (General) Order splits the country into three pay areas. The amounts below are copied exactly from the 2026 minimum wage tables on work.ke.

Car and light van driver

Area Monthly (Ksh) Hourly (Ksh)
Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret cities 24,358.73 219.28
All former municipalities and the town councils of Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru 22,481.83 199.98
All other areas 18,582.41 165.14

Heavy commercial vehicle driver

Area Monthly (Ksh) Hourly (Ksh)
Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret cities 40,724.23 366.96
All former municipalities and the town councils of Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru 38,323.71 346.42
All other areas 35,932.75 323.16

Which group applies? The Order defines a car and light van driver as someone employed to drive a car or light van of not more than 2 tons tare weight. Drivers of medium-sized vehicles (over 2 tons, or a heavy commercial vehicle of under 8 tons capacity) have their own group, which pays between the two above. Salesman drivers share the heavy commercial vehicle group.

Housing allowance. The monthly minimums exclude housing allowance. Under the Order, a monthly-paid employee who is not given free housing must also get a housing allowance of 15% of the basic minimum wage. The corrected schedule gazetted on 26 June 2026 (Legal Notice 108 of 2026) states that the daily and hourly rates include housing allowance.

Ksh 24,358.73
is the 2026 monthly minimum for a car or light van driver in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru and Eldoret cities, before housing allowance.

Check the Driving Licence with NTSA

Under the Traffic Act, a vehicle's owner, or the person in charge of it, commits an offence by letting someone drive without a valid licence (or provisional licence) for that class of vehicle. A first conviction can bring a fine of up to Ksh 20,000 or up to three months in jail.

  1. Match the class to your vehicle. Under the licensing rules, B1 covers automatic light vehicles only. B2 covers manual and automatic light vehicles up to 3,500 kg gross weight, including vans under 3,500 kg tare that don't carry passengers. Trucks need C1, C or CE, and passenger vans and buses need D1, D2 or D3.
  2. Read both sides of the smart card. The Traffic Act says the front of the smart driving licence shows the holder's photo, ID number and licence classes. The back shows the issue date and expiry date for each class. Compare the photo and ID number with the candidate's national ID.
  3. Ask for an official record, not a photocopy. NTSA's 2026 service charter lists a driving licence copy of record as an online service, applied for through the NTSA Service Portal with an eCitizen login. Ask the candidate to request their own and show it to you. Never ask for their eCitizen password.
  4. Query anything that doesn't add up. NTSA takes driving licence queries at dlqueries@ntsa.go.ke and on 0709 932 000.
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Certificate of Good Conduct

If you ask for a police clearance certificate, verify it on the DCI's official page, dci.ecitizen.go.ke/verify. The Employment Act says an employer should only require clearance certificates from someone it intends to employ. Ask for one at offer stage, not from every applicant.

What to Put in a Simple Written Agreement

Under the Employment Act, a job lasting three months or more needs a written contract, drawn up by the employer. The driver can sign it, or thumbprint it in front of someone other than you. If they can't read or understand it, you must have it explained in a language they understand. If you can't produce the written terms in a dispute, the burden of proof falls on you. Cover at least:

  • Who and what: both names, the driver's age and permanent address, and the start date. Add the job title and duties: which vehicles, routes, school runs, errands and any loading.
  • Hours and overtime: the General Order sets a normal week of not more than 52 hours, spread over six days. Overtime is paid at one and a half times the normal hourly rate, and double on the rest day or a public holiday. Give one whole rest day each week.
  • Driving limits: the Traffic Act calls a goods vehicle used for your business a "commercial vehicle". Nobody may drive one for more than eight hours in any 24-hour period.
  • Pay: state the amount and whether housing allowance is included or paid separately, plus the pay date and method (M-Pesa or bank). For most employees, the Employment Act requires a written pay statement showing gross pay and deductions.
  • Leave: at least 21 working days of paid annual leave after every 12 months. The General Order also provides sick leave after two months' service: up to 30 days on full pay a year, then up to 15 days on half pay, with a medical certificate.
  • Probation and notice: probation can last up to six months, and can be extended once by up to six more with the driver's agreement. The General Order makes every contract terminable by at least one month's written notice, or a month's pay in lieu.
  • Vehicle rules: fuel records, parking, phone use, passengers, fines and accidents. The Employment Act only allows a reasonable deduction for damage caused by an employee's wilful default. Total deductions can't exceed two-thirds of wages.

Keep your signed copy. The Act requires employers to keep these written particulars for five years after the job ends.

Red Flags When Hiring a Driver

  • The licence class doesn't match your vehicle, such as a B1 holder (automatic only) for a manual pick-up.
  • A class on the back of the card has expired, or the candidate won't get an official record from their NTSA account.
  • The police clearance certificate fails the DCI check.
  • References can only be reached through numbers the candidate supplies. Find the previous employer's contacts yourself.
  • The candidate is reluctant to do a supervised test drive in your own vehicle, on your usual routes.
  • A middleman wants money from the driver to "secure" the job.
  • On your side, paying below the minimum for the vehicle group and area breaks the General Order.

For a personal driver, referrals from people you trust are a good start. A company, school, NGO or other organisation can send the vacancy to work.ke free of charge through its Post a job page. A person reviews every submission before it appears. Applicants apply directly to you, and work.ke doesn't collect CVs. The form asks for a link to the vacancy and an application link, so it suits employers with their own website or online application form.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The General Order covers employees outside the agricultural industry and lists "driver (cars and light vans)" as an occupation. A household that employs a driver for a car must pay the same minimum as a company.

Only briefly. Under the Employment Act, a casual employee who works continuously for the equivalent of a month or more is treated as being on a monthly contract, and the monthly notice rules then apply.

The Order places the town councils of Mavoko, Ruiru and Limuru in the middle area, together with all former municipalities. If you are not sure which area covers your town, ask a labour officer.

Sources

All sources were checked on 26 September 2026.

  1. work.ke: Minimum wage in Kenya, 2026 tables. Monthly and hourly figures for "car and light van driver" (group 6) and "heavy commercial vehicle driver" (group 11), zone names. https://work.ke/salaries/minimum-wage-kenya
  2. Kenya Law: Regulation of Wages (General) (Amendment) Order, 2026, Legal Notice 108 of 2026, Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 160, 26 June 2026. Corrected schedule, deemed in force from 1 May 2026. Its heading reads "Basic minimum monthly wages (exclusive of housing allowance)" and "Minimum daily and hourly rates (inclusive of housing allowance)". The group 6 and group 11 figures are identical to work.ke. https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/ln/2026/108/eng@2026-06-26 (PDF: https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/ln/2026/108/eng@2026-06-26/source)
  3. Kenya Law: Legal Notice 95 of 2026 (Gazette of 29 May 2026), the earlier 2026 schedule, in force from 1 May 2026. https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/ln/2026/95/eng@2026-05-29
  4. Kenya Law: Regulation of Wages (General) Order, consolidated to 26 June 2026. Para 2 (scope), para 3 (no pay below the minimum), para 4 (15% housing allowance), para 5 (52-hour week), para 6 (overtime), para 7 (weekly rest), para 12 (sick leave), para 17 (one month's notice). Third Schedule definitions of "driver (cars and light vans)" and "driver (medium-sized vehicle)". https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/ln/1982/120/eng@2026-06-26
  5. Kenya Law: Employment Act (Cap. 226), version of 26 April 2024. Ss. 9 (written contract, thumbprint, explanation, clearance certificates only when intending to employ), 10 (particulars, five-year record, burden of proof), 19 (deductions), 20 (pay statement), 28 (21 days' leave), 37 (casual to monthly), 42 (probation). https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/2007/11/eng@2024-04-26
  6. Kenya Law: Traffic Act (Cap. 403), version of 26 April 2024. S. 2 ("commercial vehicle"), s. 30(2) and (7) (owner must not permit an unlicensed driver, penalty), s. 37 (smart licence: classes on the front, issue and expiry per class on the back), s. 66A (eight-hour limit). https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/1953/39/eng@2024-04-26
  7. Kenya Law: Traffic (Driving Schools, Driving Instructors and Driving Licences) Rules (L.N. 28 of 2020), Third Schedule (B1, B2, C and D classes). https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/act/ln/2020/28/eng@2022-12-31
  8. NTSA: Citizen Service Delivery Charter 2026 (English), row "Copy of record (MV & DL): Application on www.ntsa.go.ke and login into the account to apply". Listed at https://ntsa.go.ke/downloads, file https://ntsa.go.ke/api/downloads/94/file
  9. NTSA: FAQs (dlqueries@ntsa.go.ke, 0709 932 000; services accessed with eCitizen login). https://ntsa.go.ke/faqs
  10. DCI: Police Clearance Certificate, verification at dci.ecitizen.go.ke/verify. https://www.dci.go.ke/node/272
  11. work.ke: Post a job (review before publishing, applicants apply directly, required vacancy and application URLs). https://work.ke/post-a-job. Also the work.ke terms (every submission reviewed by a person). https://work.ke/terms