Kenya Payroll
Managed. Compliant. On Time.

MaxisHR runs end-to-end KES payroll in Kenya — calculating PAYE tax, 6% pension, and all statutory deductions under Employment Act 2007. Your team gets paid correctly, every month.

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MaxisHR Payroll Team

East Africa Payroll Specialists

PayrollEast AfricaKES

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Kenya Payroll Facts

2026 statutory rates

KES

Currency

Monthly

Payroll Cycle

Employer Tax

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Employee Tax

0% + PAYE

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Pension Rate

6% employee

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Health Levy

2.75%

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Min. Wage

KES/month 15,120

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Tax Year

2026

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No entity needed. Onboard your first employee in days with full compliance.

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KES

Payroll currency

Employer contribution

Tax brackets

100%

Filing accuracy

Payroll in Kenya

Kenya Payroll Services — Fully Managed in KES

Managing payroll in Kenya requires precise adherence to Employment Act 2007, correct application of the graduated PAYE tax bands, timely remittance to Kenya Revenue Authority, and accurate calculation of 6 statutory contribution lines every month.

MaxisHR's Kenya payroll service handles the complete gross-to-net calculation — from PAYE withholding and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) contributions to payslip generation and authority filings — ensuring your team is paid correctly and your business remains compliant.

Whether you have one employee or fifty in Kenya, MaxisHR's payroll platform scales with your workforce, handles multi-currency budgeting in USD or KES, and provides real-time payroll reporting through your MaxisHR dashboard.

PAYE calculated against 2026 Kenya tax brackets

KES payroll disbursed by your chosen pay date

Employer contributions: 6% — calculated and remitted

Employee deductions: pension (6%), health (2.75%), PAYE

Housing levy: 1.5% employer + employee

Monthly payslips issued to each employee

Annual tax certificates and Kenya Revenue Authority filings

FX support — budget in USD, disburse in KES

Kenya Payroll Calculator 2026

Calculate Kenya Payroll Costs Instantly

Enter a gross monthly salary in KES or USD. Our calculator applies 2026 Kenya statutory rates — PAYE, pension, health levies, and employer on-costs — to show you the real cost of employment.

Gross Monthly Salary

KES

Pension/NSSF

SHIF

2.75%

Housing Levy

1.5%

Relief/Credit

KES 2,400/mo

ℹ️ Minimum wage: KES 15,120

Source: Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) — Finance Act 2024/2025 | Tax Year 2026

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Enter a salary to calculate

Instant 2026 payslip — PAYE, pension, SHIF, housing levy, and total employer cost in KES

2026 Tax Rates

Kenya Income Tax Brackets 2026

Component	Employee	Employer	Notes
KES 0 – 24,000/mo	10%	—	PAYE withheld from employee salary
KES 24,001 – 32,333/mo	25%	—	PAYE withheld from employee salary
KES 32,334 – 500,000/mo	30%	—	PAYE withheld from employee salary
KES 500,001 – 800,000/mo	32.5%	—	PAYE withheld from employee salary
Above KES 800,000/mo	35%	—	PAYE withheld from employee salary

📌Source: Kenya Revenue Authority· Effective 2026

Statutory Deductions

Kenya Payroll Statutory Contributions — 2026

Component	Employee	Employer	Notes
PAYE Income Tax	10–35% on taxable pay	—	KRA — monthly brackets applied after pre-tax deductions. Personal relief KES 2,400/mo.
NSSF Pension (Tier I + II)	6% of gross	6% of gross	NSSF Act 2013 — reduces taxable pay before PAYE.
SHIF Health Levy	2.75% of gross	—	Social Health Insurance Fund — replaced NHIF Oct 2024. Reduces taxable pay.
Affordable Housing Levy	1.5% of gross	1.5% of gross	Finance Act 2023 — reduces taxable pay before PAYE.
NITA Training Levy	—	KES 50/employee/mo	National Industrial Training Authority
Personal Relief	KES 2,400/month credit	—	Applied after tax calculation — reduces final PAYE liability.

📌Source: Kenya Revenue Authority· Effective 2026

The Process

How MaxisHR Runs Payroll in Kenya

Step 1

Submit payroll data

Share your Kenya employees' gross salaries, allowances, and any variable pay before the cut-off date. MaxisHR accepts data via dashboard, CSV, or API integration.

Step 2

We calculate gross-to-net

MaxisHR applies 2026 Kenya PAYE brackets, deducts pension (6%), health (2.75%), and any applicable levies — producing a fully compliant net pay figure in KES for each employee.

Step 3

Payslips issued and salaries disbursed

Employees receive compliant electronic payslips. Salaries are disbursed in KES to local bank accounts on your chosen pay date — including M-Pesa and mobile money where applicable.

Step 4

Statutory filings and remittances

MaxisHR remits PAYE to Kenya Revenue Authority, pension to the relevant fund, and all other statutory contributions — before the regulatory deadline every month. You receive filing confirmations.

Scope of Service

Everything Included in MaxisHR Kenya Payroll

Gross-to-Net Calculation

PAYE + 5-bracket tax applied

We apply Kenya's 2026 income tax schedule precisely, including all personal reliefs and exemption thresholds, to produce an accurate net pay for every employee.

Statutory Remittance

Kenya Revenue Authority filings on time

All PAYE, pension, health, and levy contributions are calculated, deducted, and remitted to the correct authority before the statutory deadline — every month, without exception.

Payslips & Records

Compliant payslips and payroll register

Each employee receives a detailed payslip in KES showing gross pay, all deductions, and net pay. MaxisHR maintains a compliant payroll register for audit purposes.

FX & Multi-Currency

Budget in USD, pay in KES

MaxisHR's FX integration converts your USD budget to KES at the prevailing rate, handles the local disbursement, and provides a reconciliation report for your finance team.

Annual Compliance

Year-end filings and tax certificates

At year end, MaxisHR prepares and files all required annual returns with Kenya Revenue Authority and issues employee tax certificates for personal income tax filing.

HR Integration

Leave, benefits, and variable pay

MaxisHR payroll integrates with leave balances, bonus calculations, and benefits administration — ensuring accurate payroll even when pay varies month to month.

Why MaxisHR Payroll in Kenya

5 Reasons to Run Kenya Payroll with MaxisHR

MaxisHR is built specifically for African payroll complexity — multi-currency disbursement, graduated tax systems, and country-specific statutory obligations that generic global platforms get wrong.

2026 Kenya tax rates — always current

Always Current

MaxisHR's payroll engine is updated every time Kenya Revenue Authority publishes new rates, brackets, or statutory changes. Your PAYE, pension, and all levies are always calculated against the current KES framework — never outdated global defaults.

Multi-currency: budget in USD, pay in KES

Live FX Rates

MaxisHR's built-in FX engine converts your USD budget to KES at the prevailing interbank rate, disburses salaries to local bank accounts and mobile money (M-Pesa, MTN MoMo, Airtel Money where applicable), and provides a full reconciliation report for your finance team.

Zero-penalty Kenya Revenue Authority compliance — guaranteed

100% On-Time

Late PAYE filings in Kenya attract penalties and interest. MaxisHR's automated compliance calendar files all returns before the statutory deadline every single month. Our Kenya clients have a 100% on-time filing record.

Employee self-service: payslips, leave, and documents on demand

Employee Portal

Every Kenya employee gets a secure MaxisHR login with their full payslip history, leave balance, tax certificates, and employment documents — accessible on web or mobile. Employees can submit leave requests and queries directly through the platform, reducing HR inbox volume by over 60%.

Reduce payroll cost by 40–60% vs. in-house Kenya payroll

40–60% Cost Saving

Running payroll in-house in Kenya requires a dedicated payroll officer, local payroll software, statutory filing expertise, and ongoing compliance monitoring. MaxisHR replaces all of that at a fraction of the cost — with a dedicated East Africa payroll specialist assigned to your account.

MaxisHR Platform

The Kenya Payroll Platform Built for Africa

MaxisHR is not a generic global payroll tool adapted for Africa — it is built from the ground up for African statutory complexity, mobile-first employees, and multi-country expansion teams.

Employee Self-Service Portal

Web + Mobile

Every employee in Kenya gets a secure login — accessible on mobile or desktop. View payslips, download P9/tax certificates, check leave balances, submit leave requests, and access employment documents. Available in English, French, Arabic, and Portuguese.

WhatsApp Payslip Delivery

Africa-First

Employees in Kenya receive their monthly payslip directly via WhatsApp — no app download required. Payslips are encrypted, branded, and include a full gross-to-net breakdown in KES. Ideal for field teams and mobile-first workforces.

Employee Wallet & Earned Wage Access

New Feature

MaxisHR's employee wallet allows Kenya employees to access a portion of their earned wages before payday — reducing financial stress and improving retention. Wallet balances are reconciled against the next payroll run automatically.

CSV & Payroll Reports — Instant Export

Finance-Ready

Finance and HR teams can export detailed payroll registers, statutory contribution reports, cost centre breakdowns, and headcount analysis in CSV, PDF, or Excel — in seconds. Integrates with Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, and SAP via API.

Automated Statutory Filing & Remittance

Automated

MaxisHR files PAYE returns to Kenya Revenue Authority, remits pension contributions, and handles all levy payments automatically before the statutory deadline — every month. You receive filing confirmation receipts and a compliance dashboard.

Multi-Country Dashboard

55 Countries

Manage payroll for employees across multiple African countries from a single MaxisHR dashboard. Compare payroll costs by country, currency, and headcount. Run Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana payroll simultaneously with one click.

Mobile-First HR Management

iOS + Android

Approve leave, review payslips, onboard new employees, and manage compliance tasks from your phone. MaxisHR's mobile app is designed for African connectivity — lightweight, offline-capable, and available on iOS and Android.

Bank-Grade Security & Data Protection

Enterprise Security

All payroll data in Kenya is encrypted at rest and in transit using AES-256. MaxisHR is GDPR-compliant, ISO 27001-aligned, and stores data in Africa-region cloud infrastructure — meeting local data residency requirements.

More services in Kenya

Other MaxisHR Services in Kenya

Employer of Record

Employer of Record in Kenya

Hire employees in Kenya without a local entity. MaxisHR acts as the legal employer — managing contracts, KES payroll, and statutory compliance under Employment Act 2007.

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Company Registration

Company Registration in Kenya

Incorporate a local entity in Kenya with MaxisHR guiding you through registration, tax onboarding, and payroll-readiness from day one.

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Contractor Management

Contractor Management in Kenya

Engage and pay independent contractors in Kenya compliantly — local onboarding, contracts, and KES payment workflows handled end-to-end by MaxisHR.

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Tax Compliance

Tax Compliance in Kenya

Stay aligned with Kenya's KES tax obligations — PAYE filings, statutory reporting, and employer compliance managed by MaxisHR end-to-end.

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HR Advisory

HR Advisory in Kenya

Expert local HR guidance for Kenya — employment contracts, workforce policies, labour law updates, and disciplinary procedures.

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Salary Benchmarking

Kenya Salary Survey & Benchmarking

Access 2026 salary benchmark data for key roles in Kenya — engineers, finance managers, sales leads, and more. Set competitive KES packages.

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Payroll FAQs

Kenya Payroll — Frequently Asked Questions

How is PAYE income tax calculated in Kenya?

Kenya uses a graduated income tax system with 5 bands. The employer withholds PAYE from each monthly payslip and remits it to the tax authority. MaxisHR handles all PAYE calculations, deductions, and filings automatically for your Kenya employees.

What is the total employer cost of hiring in Kenya?

The total employer cost in Kenya is the gross salary plus employer statutory contributions — typically 6% in employer pension/social security and any applicable levies. Use our calculator above to get an instant estimate based on your target salary in KES or USD.

What does an employee take home after deductions in Kenya?

An employee's net pay in Kenya is their gross salary minus income tax (PAYE at the applicable graduated rate), employee pension contribution (6%), and health contributions (2.75%). Our payroll calculator gives you an instant breakdown.

How is payroll processed in Kenya with MaxisHR?

MaxisHR processes Kenya payroll monthly in KES. We calculate gross-to-net for each employee, deduct all statutory contributions, remit PAYE and social security to the relevant authorities, and issue compliant payslips — all by your chosen pay date.

Can I pay employees in Kenya in USD?

Statutory payroll in Kenya must be processed in KES. However, MaxisHR's FX integration allows you to budget in USD and we handle the conversion and local disbursement in KES on your behalf.

What happens if I miss a payroll filing deadline in Kenya?

Late PAYE filings in Kenya attract penalties and interest from the tax authority. MaxisHR's automated payroll calendar ensures all filings are submitted on time every month — eliminating penalty risk for your business.

Start Running Compliant Payroll in Kenya

MaxisHR handles every payroll step — PAYE calculations, Kenya Revenue Authority filings, KES disbursement, and monthly compliance. Get a payroll quote for your Kenya team today.

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Africa-wide coverage

Payroll Services Across All 55 African Countries

MaxisHR manages compliant payroll in every African country. Search below to find tax rates, payroll calculators, and compliance guides for your target market.

55 countries covered