President William Ruto has put private security companies on notice over the continued exploitation of guards, directing employers to immediately comply with Kenya's minimum wage law and remit mandatory National Social Security Fund (NSSF) contributions or face tougher enforcement action. The President said the government would no longer tolerate firms paying workers below the legal wage, saying every security company must operate within the law and treat its employees with dignity.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, on Thursday during a meeting with private security stakeholders, Ruto said the government had established that some companies had ignored the 15 per cent minimum wage increase announced on Labour Day, while others were still paying guards between Sh4,000 and Sh7,000 a month despite the legal requirements.
He said the practice was unlawful and instructed the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Labour, the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) and other government agencies to ensure all employers in the sector comply with labour laws.
"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 increase minimum wage by 15 per cent. Today I am warning them," Ruto said.
"Others are even paying as little as Sh6,000 and Sh7,000. The law of Kenya says that it is inhumane for a person to pay below the minimum wage."
Private Security Guards in a meeting with President William Ruto at State House on August 6, 2026. PHOTO/PCS.
The President said the minimum wage set by law was mandatory and could not be ignored by employers under any circumstances.
"So our good friends in the private security space, the regulator is here, the Ministry of Interior and Labour are here. We must work together to ensure all security companies operate within the parameters of the law," he said.
"The law of Kenya says there is a minimum wage and that is not negotiable. We can negotiate about anything else."
Ruto also directed private security companies to remit statutory deductions, including NSSF contributions, saying the money belongs to workers and should secure their livelihoods after retirement.
"When you pay your workers, also pay their NSSF because that is their money. When they grow old, they should have savings and should not retire into poverty," he said.
He instructed the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Labour, the PSRA and all other relevant government agencies to work together to ensure every private security officer earns at least the statutory minimum wage and that employers comply fully with their legal obligations.
The President's directive comes as the government steps up efforts to improve labour standards in the private security sector, where hundreds of thousands of Kenyans are employed but many workers have continued to face low wages, poor working conditions and failure by some employers to remit mandatory statutory deductions.