County governments are a hub of employment opportunities for those who qualify.
The County’s Executive Committee comprises appointed members, the governor, and the deputy governor.
The appointed County Executive Committee members are ministers or cabinet secretaries at the county level.
They represent various dockets at the county level, such as health, finance, tourism and culture, infrastructure, youth affairs, water and sanitation, and more.
They also implement county legislation and carry out other duties in the confines of the constitution.
CECs are well compensated for their roles. They rank fifth for the best-paid county workers after the governor, deputy governor, county assembly speaker, and deputy speaker.
So, how much do they earn per month?
County Executive Committee Members’ Salary in Kenya
Below is a table breakdown of a CEC monthly salary, including the allowances, according to the Salary and Remuneration Commission:
| Basic Salary | 242,550 |
| Transport allowance | Official (i.e Transport is arranged by county government) |
| House allowance | 80,000 |
| Salary Adjustment | 81,700 |
| Gross Pay | 404,250 |
County Executive Committee Medical Benefits
The medical benefit provides coverage to the county executive member, their spouse, and four children of age below 24. Below is a breakdown of the medical benefits:
- Inpatient- 3 million
- Outpatient- 200,000
- Maternity- 100,000
- Optical- 50,000
- Dental- 50,000
CEC Car Loan and Mortgage Benefit
A member of the county executive committee can access a car loan worth up to 4 million and a mortgage of up to 20 million.
CEC Other Benefits
Other benefits for the CECs, as reviewed by the Salary and Remuneration Commission, include monthly airtime worth 10,000 and a yearly leave allowance of 10,000.
Who Pays County Executive Committee Members?
CECs are nominated by the governor and approved by the county assembly.
They are employees of the county and therefore paid by the county government.
Since CECs are governors’ appointees, their employment contract is five-year-long.
This means that CECs lose their jobs if a governor is impeached, loses a seat after a court-ordered by-election, or fails to retain the seat in the next general election.
There is also no guarantee that the county assembly will approve all the CEC appointees, as it happened recently in the Meru county assembly following a rift between the governor and MCAS where only three CECs out of ten were approved.
Additionally, a CEC may fall out with the governor, forcing them to resign.
It is risky for those who leave their permanent jobs to work as CECs because there is no guarantee of a ten-year-long contract unless the governor performs well and is re-elected.
Going for a CEC position should therefore be a well-calculated thought, especially for permanent and pensionable job holders.
CEC’s vs MCA’s Salary
County executive committee members earn more than county assembly members.
Unlike MCAs who only serve the interests of the wards that elected them, CECs serve the entire county in their respective dockets hence their higher salary.
MCAs receive an estimated monthly salary of 144,375, way below their county government counterparts.
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