Clinical officer salary in Kenya, grade by grade
After the KMTC diploma, a clinical officer intern gets a 35,000 stipend for a year. Licensed and posted as a Registered Clinical Officer III (job group H, basic 28,620 to 37,100), pay with allowances is about Ksh 58,000 gross, Ksh 44,055 take-home.
Rules as of October 2026. Updated .
Can you afford it?
Left at the end of the monthKsh 2,638 to 5,638living in Umoja
It works, just. One bad month and you are on the overdraft.
| Take-home payAfter PAYE, SHIF, NSSF and the Housing Levy. | Ksh 29,559 |
|---|---|
| Rent (bedsitter)The usual range in this estate. | Ksh 7,000 to 10,000 |
| Power tokens | Ksh 1,258 |
| Water | Ksh 500 |
| Data and airtime | Ksh 1,300 |
| Cooking gas | Ksh 1,235 |
| FoodCooking at home, plus lunch at a kibanda on work days. | Ksh 6,996 |
| Matatu faresTwo rides a work day at the rush-hour fare, about Ksh 128 a ride. | Ksh 5,632 |
| Left over | Ksh 2,638 to 5,638 |
On this pay you can cover: bedsitter in the CBD (up to Ksh 18,000); sq in Kilimani (up to Ksh 15,500); sq in Kileleshwa (up to Ksh 15,500).
One person, cooking at home. Rents are the usual range for the estate, not one listing.
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The intern stipend is more than an RCO III's basic. Once posted, the allowances carry the pay: risk, commuter, house and the health service allowances.
Ksh a month. Basic from county board adverts; the risk allowance (4,000) is from the January 2026 deal; the other health allowances are estimates, so the gross figures are too.
| Grade | Published basic | Gross in Nairobi | Take-home | Gross is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Officer Intern | Intern stipend: 35,000 | 35,000 | 29,559 | from the scale |
| Registered Clinical Officer III | Job group H: 28,620 to 37,100 | 58,000 to 66,480 | 44,055 | an estimate |
| Registered Clinical Officer II | Job group J: 34,420 to 46,120 | 71,720 to 83,420 | 52,675 | an estimate |
| Registered Clinical Officer I | Job group K: 41,420 to 57,230 | 86,720 to 102,530 | 62,098 | an estimate |
The payslip at each grade
Ksh a month at the first point of each grade, after NSSF, SHIF, the Housing Levy and PAYE. Union dues and loans are not taken off.
| Intern | RCO III | RCO II | RCO I | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | 35,000 | 58,000 | 71,720 | 86,720 |
| NSSF Tier I | 540 | 540 | 540 | 540 |
| NSSF Tier II | 1,560 | 2,940 | 3,763 | 4,663 |
| SHIF | 963 | 1,595 | 1,972 | 2,385 |
| Housing Levy | 525 | 870 | 1,076 | 1,301 |
| PAYE | 1,853 | 8,000 | 11,694 | 15,733 |
| Take-home | 29,559 | 44,055 | 52,675 | 62,098 |
How you move up
Three years at KMTC for the Diploma in Clinical Medicine and Surgery, a year's internship posted by the Ministry of Health, then the Clinical Officers Council licence. A higher diploma (anaesthesia, for one) is the way to a specialist post.
- Clinical Officer Intern: Ksh 35,000 gross, Ksh 29,559 take-home. Needs Diploma in Clinical Medicine and Surgery (36 months).
- Registered Clinical Officer III: Ksh 58,000 gross, Ksh 44,055 take-home. Needs 1 years in the grade below and Clinical Officers Council licence (1 months).
- Registered Clinical Officer II: Ksh 71,720 gross, Ksh 52,675 take-home. Needs 3 years in the grade below.
- Registered Clinical Officer I: Ksh 86,720 gross, Ksh 62,098 take-home. Needs 3 years in the grade below.
What a Clinical Officer Intern can rent in Nairobi
On Ksh 29,559 take-home, after bills, food and matatu fares, the most that fits at the top of the rent range: a bedsitter in the CBD (up to Ksh 18,000); a sq in Kilimani (up to Ksh 15,500); a sq in Kileleshwa (up to Ksh 15,500).
A bedsitter in Umoja leaves Ksh 2,638 to Ksh 5,638 a month.
Questions people ask
How much does a clinical officer intern earn?
A 35,000 stipend a month, Ksh 29,559 after deductions.
What job group is a clinical officer?
A newly licensed Registered Clinical Officer III is job group H, basic 28,620 to 37,100. RCO II is J and RCO I is K.
How much does a Clinical Officer Intern take home?
Ksh 29,559 a month from Ksh 35,000 gross. Ksh 5,441 comes off for NSSF, SHIF, the Housing Levy and PAYE.
Sources
- Capital FM, "1,270 clinical officers interns posted across the country"
- Business Daily, "Clinical officers bag permanent jobs and pay rise in deal", 29 Jan 2026
- County public service board adverts, job group H, 2026 (Machakos CPSB)
- Clinical Officers Council (licensing)
- Kenya Medical Training College, Diploma in Clinical Medicine and Surgery
- Salaries and Remuneration Commission
- KRA, Pay As You Earn guide, Jan 2025
- KNBS, 2023/24 Kenya Housing Survey (average Nairobi rent by unit, tenancy norms)