Government institutions in Kenya attract a lot of applications whenever they post a job advert.
The massive applications are because many Kenyans believe (or have heard) that public institution jobs are lucrative because of the high salaries and benefits they pay their employees.
One of the most sought-after government institutions by job seekers is Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), the largest referral hospital in East and Central Africa.
Obviously, most of the job opportunities at KNH are medicine-related including doctors, pharmacists, nurses, therapists, etc but other professional jobs are also available from time to time.
Although health is now a devolved function meaning hospitals operate under County Governments, this has not affected the salary scales and job groups of hospitals like KNH.
So, What Are The Salary Scales At KNH?
Public institutions like KNH have various job cadres, which are classified according to job groups, each with a corresponding salary and allowance range.
The job groups at KNH range between KNH3 to KNH10, just like most other public entities.
In 2020, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) reviewed the KNH staffs’ basic salaries, with the CEO’s salary capped at Ksh.560, 000 per month and directors earning a minimum of Ksh. 60,000 monthly basic pay.
The lowest job cadre salary of office assistants was raised to Ksh.33, 152.
Below are some regularly advertised job vacancies at KNH and the corresponding salary ranges.
- Registered Nurse salary: Ksh. 1,200,000 per annum or Ksh. 91,700 per month. This may vary depending on experience and specialization. The entry-level salary for nurses can be as low as Ksh. 23,000 for a general ward nurse and as high as Ksh. 140,000 for highly specialized nurses.
- Medical Officer salary: Ksh 1,200,000 to Ksh 1, 704,000 per annum, depending on experience level.
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer salary: Ksh. 1,561,200 per annum for professional sonographers with five to ten years of experience.
- Intern Nurse Salary: Starting from Ksh. 360,000 per annum(Ksh. 30,000 per month)
- Clinical Office salary: Ksh. 480,000 per annum for fresh graduates
- Director of Clinical Services salary: An average of Ksh. 1,440,000 per annum, depending on experience. The minimum monthly salary set by the SRC is Ksh. 60,000 per month for KNH directors.
- Registered Dietitian Nutritionist salary: Ksh. 1,200,000 per annum
- Pharmaceutical Technologist: An average of Ksh. 600,000 per annum though it varies based on the job group and experience level. There are three levels of certified pharmaceutical technologists, namely I, II, and III, each attracting different remuneration levels.
- Medical Doctor/Physician salary: Ranges between Ksh. 120,000 to Ksh. 300,000 per month based on experience and qualifications.
- Biomedical Engineer salary: Ranges between Ksh. 43,000 to Ksh. 200,000 per month, inclusive of all allowances based on qualifications and experience.
- Biotechnologist salary: Ksh. 97,000 to Ksh. 288,000 (maximum) per month on average
- Dental Technologist salary: Starting from Ksh 40,000 per month depending on seniority level
On the administrative side of KNH are accounting officers, customer care representatives, ICT officers, and the CEO, among others.
Below are the salary ranges of some of the administrative jobs at KNH:
- KNH CEO salary: Minimum of Ksh. 395,386 and a maximum of Ksh. 560,000 per month depending on qualifications and experience.
- Senior Board Directors salary: Between Ksh. 296,818 and Ksh. 434,666 per month based on roles, qualifications, and experience.
- ICT Officer salary: Entry-level salary averages Ksh. 25,000 per month
- Internal Auditor salary: Variable depending on qualifications and experience. Just like any other accounting and finance job, internal auditors at KNH monthly salaries range between Ksh. 45,000 to Ksh. 55,000. For senior internal auditors, the salary could be as high as Ksh. 200,000 per month.
It’s important to note that the SRC may adjust KNH salary scales from year to year with the creation or elimination of job groups and upward review of staff salaries.
The last salary review for KNH staff was approved by the SRC in 2020.
