Salary data · 3 official figures
Cook and Waiter Salary in Kenya (2026)
Official monthly pay figures for cook and waiter jobs in Kenya, from the 2026 minimum wage order. Every figure links to its source, and none are estimates.
Cooks and waiters share a band with miners, stone cutters, turnboys, loggers and line cutters. These are general-order minimums. Hotel and catering workers may be covered by a separate sector wages order.
Official figures
Statutory minimum wage (from 1 May 2026)
| Occupation band (LN 108/2026 row) | Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru & Eldoret cities | Former municipalities + Mavoko, Ruiru & Limuru town councils | All other areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waiter, cook, turnboy, miner, stone cutter (row 2) | KSh 19,491.33 KSh 936.88/day · 175.46/hr |
KSh 17,046.83 KSh 828.55/day · 149.47/hr |
KSh 11,124.42 KSh 549.91/day · 100.56/hr |
Monthly = basic minimum excluding housing allowance. Daily and hourly rates include housing. Source: Legal Notice 108 of 2026.
How to read these numbers
- Minimum wage rows come from the schedule of the Regulation of Wages (General) (Amendment) Order, 2026 (Legal Notice 108), which took effect on 1 May 2026. The monthly figures are basic minimum wages excluding housing allowance. The daily and hourly rates in the notes include housing. An employer may pay more, but paying less is an offence. Which column applies depends on where you work.
- All figures are gross, before PAYE, SHIF, NSSF and the housing levy. To see take-home pay for any figure, use the net salary calculator.
None of the current JobInKenya listings for this role state a salary, so this page uses official figures only. We add advertised pay when employers publish it.
Current cook and waiter jobs
- Information Security Lead · BURN
- Technical Program Manager · Living Goods
Sources
- Legal Notice No. 108 of 2026: Regulation of Wages (General) (Amendment) Order, 2026 (source). Type: Statutory minimum wage.
See also: minimum wage in Kenya · salary checker · PAYE calculator · government jobs