Updated 17 October 2026
Clinical officer pay in Kenya changed sharply in 2026. In February 2026 the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers and the Council of Governors signed the cadre’s first collective bargaining agreement, effective from 1 July 2025 and running to June 2029. This page sets out the pay reported under that agreement next to the basic salary scales one county advertised before it. It also explains the grading structure and has a take-home pay calculator already set to these figures.
Clinical Officer Pay Under the 2026 CBA
Under the new agreement, the lowest-paid clinical officer earns KES 105,900 a month in a rural area and KES 110,900 in an urban area. At the top of the structure, pay is about KES 330,010 in a rural area and at least KES 338,010 in an urban area. These are total monthly pay figures; the reports did not split them into basic salary and allowances.
| Position in the structure | Rural (KES per month) | Urban (KES per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest-paid clinical officer | 105,900 | 110,900 |
| Highest-paid clinical officer | about 330,010 | at least 338,010 |
CBA figures as reported by Kenyans.co.ke and the Daily Nation in February 2026; the official CBA pay schedule has not been published. The county scales below are official, from the Narok County Public Service Board vacancy notice of July 2025.
See every SHA contracted facility by county on our SHA hospital finder.
Basic Salary Scales Before the CBA
County vacancy notices show the basic salary attached to each clinical officer grade. In July 2025 Narok County advertised these posts:
| Post and grade | Basic salary scale (KES per month) | Entry qualification in the notice |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Clinical Officer II, CPSB 10 (Job Group J) | 32,700 to 42,690 | Diploma in Clinical Medicine and Surgery |
| Clinical Officer, CPSB 09 (Job Group K) | 39,700 to 52,960 | Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Medicine and Surgery |
Both posts also require registration and a valid practising licence from the Clinical Officers Council. The gap between these basic scales and the CBA figures above is made up mostly of allowances, together with the pay rise the agreement brought. A clinical officer’s payslip shows basic pay on one line and house, commuter, risk and other allowances on separate lines.
See how to confirm a practitioner is licensed on our guide to professional registers in Kenya.
How Clinical Officers Are Graded
The Ministry of Health’s career guidelines for clinical officers, posted on the Ministry’s website in February 2025, place a Registered Clinical Officer II at Job Group J, a Registered Clinical Officer I at Job Group K and a Senior Registered Clinical Officer at Job Group L, with principal grades higher up. The 2026 agreement adds two changes that matter for pay. Holders of a higher diploma can now enter at the same grade as degree holders, and a new Clinical Specialist category has been created for officers with a master’s degree. Upgrading your qualification can therefore move you up the structure faster than waiting for promotion.
Clinical Officer Take-Home Pay Calculator
Choose a figure to load it, or type the gross pay from your own payslip. The calculator deducts NSSF, SHIF at 2.75%, the Affordable Housing Levy at 1.5% and PAYE after personal relief, and treats the whole amount as taxable.
At KES 105,900 gross, PAYE takes a much bigger bite than it does on the basic salary alone, because taxable pay above KES 32,333 a month is taxed at 30%. The net figure the calculator shows does not include union dues, Sacco savings or loan repayments, which are deducted on most county payslips. For health-sector Sacco loans, try the Afya Sacco loan calculator.
Becoming a Clinical Officer
Diploma and degree courses in clinical medicine are offered by KMTC and universities through KUCCPS. See the clinical medicine cut-off points and check your grades with the KUCCPS cluster points calculator. Qualified officers can find county, mission and private openings under healthcare jobs on jobinkenya.co.ke. The road to the agreement was long; our report on the KUCO nationwide strike notice gives some of the background.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a clinical officer earn in Kenya in 2026?
Under the CBA signed in February 2026, the lowest reported monthly pay is KES 105,900 in rural areas and KES 110,900 in urban areas.
What is the basic salary of a diploma clinical officer?
On the July 2025 Narok scale, a Registered Clinical Officer II at Job Group J started on KES 32,700 basic, rising to KES 42,690, before allowances.
Does the CBA cover national government clinical officers?
The agreement was signed with the Council of Governors, so it covers clinical officers employed by county governments.
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