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The Labour Cabinet Secretary explained that the revised wage structures will create new minimum wage rates across different sectors while also guiding employers in the private sector as they review salaries under their human resource policies.
COTU (K) maintained that it would not be dragged into what it called attempts to sow division within the labour movement, adding that workers in Kenya would not accept sustained attacks on their representative institutions.
President William Ruto pointed to major projects such as the Rironi-Malaba corridor, the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway and the Affordable Housing Programme, saying they are helping drive jobs, improve movement and strengthen economic activity.
Speaking during national Labour Day celebrations in Vihiga County, President William Ruto announced a 12% general wage increase and a 15% rise in agricultural wages, linking the move to job creation and improved public services.
Labour CS Alfred Mutua said Kenya is seeing clear progress at Labour Day celebrations in Vihiga County, citing over 6.2 million jobs, fewer strikes, digital and housing programmes, and NSSF pension payments within seven days.
Globally, Labour Day is observed on different dates depending on national traditions, though it is widely connected to International Workers’ Day, which falls on May 1. The date is historically linked to the 1886 labour protests in the United States that championed the eight-hour working day, a movement that shaped modern labour rights.
COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli warned against early political campaigns during Labour Day celebrations in Vihiga County, urging IEBC to stop early rallies and urging politicians to wait for the official election timetable.
The event is being held at Chavakali High School, where workers have gathered to celebrate International Labour Day and reflect on the state of labour in the country over the past year.
The President emphasized that the country’s economic transformation depends on strong leadership.
CS Mutua shared that his office has received numerous reports of harassment and emphasized that this unethical behavior must come to an end.
The President said the Hustler Fund continues to deepen financial inclusion and support entrepreneurship at scale.
It traces its roots back to the industrial era when workers, especially in the United States and Europe, began demanding better working conditions.