Police salary in Kenya 2026, rank by rank
After the final phase of the police pay review in July 2026, a constable (PG1) starts on 29,360 basic and can reach 57,700. With the Nairobi house allowance (9,500) and commuter allowance (3,000) the start is Ksh 41,860 gross, Ksh 33,915 take-home.
Rules as of October 2026. Updated .
Can you afford it?
Left at the end of the monthKsh 6,994 to 9,994living in Umoja
This works, with room to save.
| Take-home payAfter PAYE, SHIF, NSSF and the Housing Levy. | Ksh 33,915 |
|---|---|
| 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 6,994 to 9,994 |
On this pay you can cover: bedsitter in the CBD (up to Ksh 18,000); 1 bedroom in Umoja (up to Ksh 15,500); 1 bedroom in Donholm (up to Ksh 15,500).
One person, cooking at home. Rents are the usual range for the estate, not one listing.
Play a police constable in Nairobi: Ksh 33,915 a month, a transfer letter any day, rent in Umoja. Free in GrindLife.
Play free GrindLife is a free life game on real Nairobi streets. Every job pays what its real scale pays.Police officer pay scale 2026
A constable climbs one point a year inside PG1: from Ksh 41,860 to Ksh 70,200 gross in Nairobi over ten years, which is why many stay constables for a long time.
Ksh a month. Minimum basic per grade from the July 2026 review; above PG1 the house and commuter allowances are not published per grade, so those gross figures are estimates.
| Grade | Published basic | Gross in Nairobi | Take-home | Gross is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police Constable (PG1) | PG1: 29,360 to 57,700 | 41,860 to 70,200 | 33,915 | from the scale |
| Corporal (PG2) | PG2: from 35,580 | 50,080 to 58,975 | 39,079 | an estimate |
| Sergeant (PG3) | PG3: from 46,380 | 62,380 to 73,975 | 46,807 | an estimate |
| Senior Sergeant (PG4) | PG4: from 50,600 | 67,600 to 80,250 | 50,086 | an estimate |
| Inspector of Police (PG5) | PG5: from 55,075 | 73,575 to 87,344 | 53,840 | 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.
| Constable | Corporal | Sergeant | Snr Sgt | Inspector | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | 41,860 | 50,080 | 62,380 | 67,600 | 73,575 |
| NSSF Tier I | 540 | 540 | 540 | 540 | 540 |
| NSSF Tier II | 1,972 | 2,465 | 3,203 | 3,516 | 3,875 |
| SHIF | 1,151 | 1,377 | 1,715 | 1,859 | 2,023 |
| Housing Levy | 628 | 751 | 936 | 1,014 | 1,104 |
| PAYE | 3,654 | 5,867 | 9,179 | 10,585 | 12,193 |
| Take-home | 33,915 | 39,079 | 46,807 | 50,086 | 53,840 |
How you move up
Recruitment is free and advertised by the National Police Service Commission: 18 to 28 years old, KCSE D+ and the height and fitness tests, then about nine months at police college. Police may not join a union.
- Police Constable (PG1): Ksh 41,860 gross, Ksh 33,915 take-home.
- Corporal (PG2): Ksh 50,080 gross, Ksh 39,079 take-home. Needs 3 years in the grade below.
- Sergeant (PG3): Ksh 62,380 gross, Ksh 46,807 take-home. Needs 3 years in the grade below and Senior NCO promotion course (3 months).
- Senior Sergeant (PG4): Ksh 67,600 gross, Ksh 50,086 take-home. Needs 3 years in the grade below.
- Inspector of Police (PG5): Ksh 73,575 gross, Ksh 53,840 take-home. Needs 3 years in the grade below and Inspector cadet course (6 months).
What a Police Constable (PG1) can rent in Nairobi
On Ksh 33,915 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 1 bedroom in Umoja (up to Ksh 15,500); a 1 bedroom in Donholm (up to Ksh 15,500).
A bedsitter in Umoja leaves Ksh 6,994 to Ksh 9,994 a month.
Prison officers
A prisons constable is paid on the same cap as a police constable, up to 57,700 basic, after at least nine months at the Prisons Staff Training College in Ruiru. GrindLife pays a prisons constable the same as PG1: Ksh 41,860 gross to start.
Questions people ask
How much does a police constable earn in Kenya in 2026?
From 29,360 basic, up to 57,700. In Nairobi, with house and commuter allowances, Ksh 41,860 gross to start and Ksh 33,915 take-home.
What is the salary of a prison officer in Kenya?
A prisons constable shares the police constable's cap of 57,700 basic. Starting gross in Nairobi is about Ksh 41,860.
How much does an inspector of police earn?
PG5 starts at 55,075 basic. With allowances, about Ksh 73,575 gross and Ksh 53,840 take-home.
How much does a Police Constable (PG1) take home?
Ksh 33,915 a month from Ksh 41,860 gross. Ksh 7,945 comes off for NSSF, SHIF, the Housing Levy and PAYE.
Sources
- The Star, "State completes final phase of police salary review", 24 Jul 2026
- The Star, "Pay rise: what police, prisons and NYS will earn", 4 Mar 2026
- National Police Service Commission, police constable recruitment advert
- KRA, Pay As You Earn guide, Jan 2025
- KNBS, 2023/24 Kenya Housing Survey (average Nairobi rent by unit, tenancy norms)