Community health promoter (CHP) pay in Kenya
Community health promoters get a 5,000 stipend a month, split between the national government and the county, and often paid late. It is a stipend, not a salary: the step up to a paid county post is the Community Health Assistant, about Ksh 45,000 gross.
Rules as of October 2026. Updated .
Can you afford it?
Left at the end of the month−Ksh 22,596 to −19,596living in Umoja
This does not add up. Something has to give.
| Take-home payAfter PAYE, SHIF, NSSF and the Housing Levy. | Ksh 4,325 |
|---|---|
| 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 22,596 to −19,596 |
On this pay nothing here fits once bills are paid. Sharing a room or living with family is how most people start.
One person, cooking at home. Rents are the usual range for the estate, not one listing.
Play a community health promoter in Nairobi: door to door, a stipend of Ksh 4,325, and a cholera week. Free in GrindLife.
Play free GrindLife is a free life game on real Nairobi streets. Every job pays what its real scale pays.Community health promoter pay scale 2026
The SHA covers CHPs' households from 2026/27 (Ksh 396 million for about 107,800 promoters). The cover is worth more than many think, but it does not pay rent.
Ksh a month. The stipend as set by the government; the assistant's gross is job group H basic plus allowances, an estimate.
| Grade | Published basic | Gross in Nairobi | Take-home | Gross is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Promoter | Stipend: 5,000 | 5,000 | 4,325 | from the scale |
| Community Health Promoter (eCHIS kit, SHA cover) | Stipend: 5,000 | 5,000 | 4,325 | from the scale |
| Community Health Assistant (county staff) | Job group H: 28,620 | 45,000 | 35,888 | 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.
| CHP | CHP with kit | CHA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | 5,000 | 5,000 | 45,000 |
| NSSF Tier I | 300 | 300 | 540 |
| NSSF Tier II | 0 | 0 | 2,160 |
| SHIF | 300 | 300 | 1,238 |
| Housing Levy | 75 | 75 | 675 |
| PAYE | 0 | 0 | 4,500 |
| Take-home | 4,325 | 4,325 | 35,888 |
How you move up
You are chosen by your estate's community health committee and trained by the county. A KMTC certificate in community health takes you onto county staff.
- Community Health Promoter: Ksh 5,000 gross, Ksh 4,325 take-home. Needs CHP basic training (1 months).
- Community Health Promoter (eCHIS kit, SHA cover): Ksh 5,000 gross, Ksh 4,325 take-home. Needs 1 years in the grade below and eCHIS and the smartphone kit (1 months).
- Community Health Assistant (county staff): Ksh 45,000 gross, Ksh 35,888 take-home. Needs 1 years in the grade below and Certificate in Community Health Assistant (24 months).
What a Community Health Promoter can rent in Nairobi
On Ksh 4,325 take-home, after bills, food and matatu fares, the most that fits at the top of the rent range: nothing on its own; most people at this pay share a room or live with family.
A bedsitter in Umoja leaves −Ksh 22,596 to −Ksh 19,596 a month.
Questions people ask
How much are community health promoters paid in Kenya?
5,000 a month: 2,500 from the national government and 2,500 from the county.
Do CHPs pay SHIF on the stipend?
GrindLife treats it like any pay, so the minimum SHIF of 300 comes off. The government also pays SHA cover for CHP households from 2026/27.
How much does a Community Health Promoter take home?
Ksh 4,325 a month from Ksh 5,000 gross. Ksh 675 comes off for NSSF, SHIF, the Housing Levy and PAYE.
Sources
- The Standard, "Government releases Sh396 million to provide health cover for CHPs", 2026
- Mzalendo, tracker on the CHP stipend, 2026
- KRA, Pay As You Earn guide, Jan 2025
- KNBS, 2023/24 Kenya Housing Survey (average Nairobi rent by unit, tenancy norms)