Boniface Kanyamwaya, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, has more than 10 years of financial, economic, business, market, and aviation expertise, providing insights into Kenya and global trends.

The Kenyan job market has posted a mixed reaction since President William Ruto took power after winning the 2022 General Election.

Although some companies have laid off workers due to a tough operating environment compounded by high taxes and inflation, government agencies are employing workers.

A recent report by the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) attributes job losses in Kenya to inflation and high taxes imposed by the current administration. This, they say, has negatively impacted payrolls and general wage demand, leading to business shutdowns.

"We are not yet back on track since Covid-19. Every day, we receive notifications from employers on their intent to declare redundancy," said FKE in a recent statement seen by

The Kenya Electricity Generating Company Plc (KenGen) is seeking to recruit senior managers to fill vacancies left by former staff members. In an advertisement placed in one of the local dailies on Tuesday, March 25, KenGen said that interested applicants must visit the KenGen Career portal to submit their applications.

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has declared 2,014 vacancies to replace teachers who have exited the service through natural attrition. The commission, in an advertisement placed in MyGov on Tuesday, May 6, said that out of the 2,014 positions, 1,309 posts will be filled by primary schools, 32 positions will go to junior schools, while 673 jobs will be taken by secondary school teachers.

The institution invited applications from KCSE and certificate holders to fill several jobs. KIMC noted that successful candidates will be offered three-month contracts, and applicants should apply by April 11. Among the job openings offered by the state-owned institution are positions for cooks, gardeners, housekeepers, and secretaries.

Other government agencies that have announced new jobs include Kenya Power, the Central Rift Valley Water Works Development, and Kenya Revenue Authority, among others.

President Ruto, on Thursday, May 1, directed employers to move with speed and implement the 6% minimum wage increase.

A directive to increase workers' salaries by 6% was announced last year, but it has never been implemented. A minimum wage is the amount of remuneration that an employer is required to pay an employee for work performed during a specific period.

President Ruto further said that to improve workers’ take-home pay, employers will now be required to apply eligible tax reliefs and exemptions directly when calculating Pay As You Earn (PAYE).

This, he said, will be a significant shift from the current system, where such reliefs can only be claimed from the Kenya Revenue Authority. This will increase efficiency and immediately benefit employees.

Source: TUKO.co.ke