Annual Leave Calculator Kenya: Leave Days and Leave Pay Owed

Updated 17 October 2026

Leaving a job with leave days still unused? In Kenya those days do not simply disappear. This calculator works out how many annual leave days you have earned in the current leave year under section 28 of the Employment Act, subtracts the days you have taken, and turns the balance into a cash figure. It is useful for anyone checking final dues after resignation, redundancy or the end of a contract.

How Much Annual Leave Kenyan Law Gives You

Section 28(1)(a) of the Employment Act entitles every employee to not less than 21 working days of leave with full pay after every 12 consecutive months of service. Section 28(1)(b) covers people who leave part-way through a leave year: if employment ends after two or more consecutive months of service in a leave-earning period, you are entitled to not less than one and three-quarter days of leave with full pay for each completed month. That is the same as 21 days spread over 12 months.

Your contract can give more than 21 days, and many do. The calculator lets you enter your contract figure and spreads it evenly over 12 months. It will not let you go below 21, because the Act sets that as the floor.

Rules on Taking and Carrying Leave

• With your consent, the employer can split leave into parts, but unless an agreement or CBA says otherwise, one part should be at least two uninterrupted working weeks (section 28(2) and (3)).
• The uninterrupted part should be taken within the 12-month period, and the rest within 18 months of the end of the leave year it was earned in (section 28(4)).
• Where your contract gives more than the minimum, you and your employer can agree how to use the extra days (section 28(5)).
• Maternity leave does not use up annual leave: section 29(7) says a female employee keeps her annual leave entitlement.

Enter any days you legitimately carried over from last year in the “carried forward” box.

How the Cash Value Is Worked Out

The Act says leave is taken with full pay, but it does not set a formula for turning a leave day into money. Three methods are common in Kenyan payrolls, so the calculator offers all three:

• Monthly pay ÷ 30: treats every calendar day as a paid day. This is the simplest and is widely used.
• Monthly pay ÷ 26: a six-day working week.
• Monthly pay ÷ 22: a five-day working week, which gives the highest value per day.

Because leave is counted in working days, ÷ 22 or ÷ 26 can be argued to be more accurate for a five- or six-day week. If your contract, staff handbook or CBA states a method, use that one.

Example: KSh 50,000 a month, 6 completed months in the leave year, 21 days a year and 3 days taken. Leave earned is 10.5 days, so 7.5 days are owed. At ÷ 30 that is worth KSh 12,500; at ÷ 22 it is about KSh 17,045.

When Leave Must Be Paid in Cash

On redundancy, section 40(1)(e) expressly requires the employer to pay off any leave due in cash. On other terminations, leave earned but not taken is part of the final dues claim. Check the final payslip line by line, and add the figure from this calculator to your severance or notice pay where relevant. If you are about to go on maternity or paternity leave instead, use our maternity and paternity leave calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many leave days am I entitled to in Kenya?

At least 21 working days with full pay after every 12 consecutive months of service, under section 28 of the Employment Act.

How many leave days do I earn per month?

One and three-quarter days for each completed month, once you have completed at least two consecutive months in the leave year.

Are public holidays counted as leave days?

Leave is counted in working days, so public holidays that fall during your leave are not normally deducted from your leave balance. Check your contract or HR policy.

Can my employer refuse to pay unused leave when I leave?

On redundancy the Act requires leave due to be paid in cash. In other cases, leave earned but not taken is normally claimed as part of terminal dues. Raise disputes with the labour officer.

Does sick leave reduce annual leave?

No. Sick leave is a separate entitlement under section 30: seven days on full pay and seven on half pay in each 12 months, after two months’ service, with a medical certificate.

General information based on the Employment Act, 2007 as amended. Not legal advice. Contracts and CBAs may give more leave or set a payment formula.