Maternity and Paternity Leave Calculator Kenya: End Date and Return Date

Updated 17 October 2026

Planning maternity, paternity or adoption leave? This calculator takes the date your leave starts and works out the day it ends, the day you are due back at work, and the date by which you should give your employer written notice. You can also add annual leave straight after, which many parents do. It follows sections 29 and 29A of the Employment Act, 2007.

Maternity Leave: Three Months on Full Pay

Section 29(1) of the Employment Act entitles a female employee to three months’ maternity leave with full pay. The rest of section 29 protects that leave:

• Right to return: when the leave ends, you have the right to return to the job you held before, or to a reasonably suitable job on terms no less favourable than if you had not gone on leave (section 29(2)).
• Extensions: if the leave is extended with the employer’s consent, or you go straight on to sick leave, annual leave, compassionate leave or other leave with the employer’s consent, the maternity leave is treated as ending on the last day of that extended leave (section 29(3)).
• Notice: to rely on these rights you must give not less than seven days’ written notice of the date you intend to start leave and to return, or a shorter period that is reasonable in the circumstances (section 29(4) and (5)). The calculator shows the date seven days before your start date.
• Medical certificate: your employer can ask for a certificate of your medical condition from a qualified medical practitioner or midwife (section 29(6)).
• Annual leave is kept: you do not lose your annual leave because you took maternity leave (section 29(7)).

Paternity Leave: Two Weeks on Full Pay

Section 29(8) gives a male employee two weeks’ paternity leave with full pay. The Act does not set a notice period for paternity leave, so follow your employer’s HR policy, and tell your manager in writing as early as you can. The calculator counts two weeks as 14 calendar days from the start date.

Pre-Adoptive Leave: One Month on Full Pay

Section 29A, added by the Employment (Amendment) Act, 2021, gives an employee one month’s pre-adoptive leave with full pay from the date a child is placed in their continuous care under the Children Act. You must notify your employer in writing at least 14 days before the placement, with documents from the adoption society showing its intention to place the child, including the custody agreement and an exit certificate. The calculator shows the date 14 days before the start date you enter.

How the Dates Are Counted

• Maternity: three calendar months from the start date, ending the day before the same date three months later. Leave starting on 3 November ends on 2 February.
• Pre-adoptive: one calendar month, counted the same way.
• Paternity: 14 calendar days including the start date.
• Annual leave added: counted in working days, Monday to Friday. The calculator does not skip public holidays, so if a holiday falls inside your annual leave, you may be back a day later.
• Return date: the next weekday after all leave ends.

Not sure how many annual leave days you have? Work them out with the annual leave calculator.

Pay During Leave

All three types of leave are on full pay, so your salary should continue as normal, with PAYE, NSSF, SHIF and the housing levy deducted as usual. You can check your expected take-home with the PAYE calculator. If your employer reduces your pay during maternity, paternity or pre-adoptive leave, ask for the reason in writing and raise it with the labour officer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is maternity leave in Kenya?

Three months with full pay under section 29(1) of the Employment Act. A contract or CBA can give more.

How long is paternity leave in Kenya?

Two weeks with full pay under section 29(8).

Can I add annual leave to maternity leave?

Yes, with your employer’s consent. The maternity leave is then treated as ending on the last day of the extended leave, and your right to return is kept.

How much notice do I need to give before maternity leave?

At least seven days in writing, or a shorter period that is reasonable in the circumstances.

Is there leave for adoptive parents?

Yes. Section 29A gives one month’s pre-adoptive leave with full pay from the date of placement, with 14 days’ written notice.

General information based on the Employment Act, 2007 as amended in 2021. Not legal advice. Public sector and CBA terms may differ.