Section 4 of Employment Act CAP 226: Prohibition against forced labour
(1) No person shall use or assist any other person in recruiting, trafficking or using forced labour.
(2) The term “forced or compulsory labour” shall not include—
(a) any work or service exacted by virtue of compulsory military service laws for work of a purely military character:
Provided that forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict shall be deemed to be forced or compulsory labour;
(b) any work or service which forms part of the normal civic obligations of the citizens of Kenya;
(c) any work or service exacted from any person as a consequence of a conviction in a court of law, provided that the work or service is carried out under the supervision and control of a public authority and that the person is not hired out to or placed at the disposal of private persons, companies or associations;
(d) any work or service exacted in cases of an emergency, such as in the event of war or disaster or threat of calamity in any circumstance that would endanger the existence or the well-being of the whole or part of the population; and
(e) minor communal services performed by the members of the
community in the direct interest of the said community, provided the members of the community or their representatives are consulted.
(3) A person who contravenes the provisions of this section commits an offence and shall, on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred thousand shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both.
Enhance Your Research with Bookmarks and Annotations
Here's how you can use these features:
- To bookmark this page, click the "Bookmark this Page" button below the document title.
- To add an annotation, highlight text in the document and select "Add Annotation" from the toolbar that appears.
- These features are great for organizing your research and keeping track of key information.
- You can view and manage your bookmarks and annotations on your Bookmarks and Annotations page.
- Section 5 - Discrimination in employment
(1) It shall be the duty of the Minister, labour officers and the Industrial Court—
(a) to promote equality of opportunity in employment in order to eliminate discrimination in employment; and...
- Section 6 - Sexual harassment
(1) An employee is sexually harassed if the employer of that employee or a representative of that employer or a co-worker—
(a) directly or indirectly requests that employee for sexual intercourse,...
- Section 7 - Contract of service
No person shall be employed under a contract of service except in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
- Section 8 - Oral and written contracts
The provisions of this Act shall apply to oral and written contracts.
- Section 9 - General provision of contract of service
(1) A contract of service—
(a) for a period or a number of working days which amount in the aggregate to the equivalent, of three months or more; or
(b) which provides for the performance of any...
- Section 10 - Employment particulars
(1) A written contract of service specified in section 9 shall state particulars of employment which may, subject to subsection (3), be given in instalments and shall be given not later than two...
- Section 11 - Statement of initial particulars
(1) If in the case of a statement under section 10 there are no particulars to be entered under subsection (2)(d) or (j) or under any of the other provisions of section 10(2) or (3), that fact shall...
- Section 12 - Statement on disciplinary rules
(1) A statement under section 10 shall—
(a) specify the disciplinary rules applicable to the employee or refer the
employee to the provisions of a document which is reasonably accessible to the...
- Section 13 - Statement of changes
(1) If, after the material date there is a change in any of the particulars required under sections 10 and 12, the employer shall give to the employee a written statement containing particulars of the...
- Section 14 - Reasonably accessible document or collective agreement
In sections 11, 12 and 13, references to a document or collective agreement which is reasonably accessible to an employee are references to a document or collective agreement which—
(a) the employee...
- Section 15 - Informing employees of their rights
An employer shall display a statement in the prescribed form of the employee’s rights under this Act in a conspicuous place, which is accessible to all the employees.
- Section 16 - Enforcement
(1) Where an employer does not give an employee a statement as required by section 10, 12 or 13 or an itemised pay statement as required by section 20, the employee may file a complaint with the...
- Section 17 - Payment, disposal and recovery of wages, allowances, etc.
(1) Subject to this Act, an employer shall pay the entire amount of the wages earned by or payable to an employee in respect of work done by the employee in pursuance of a contract of service...
- Section 18 - When wages or salaries due
(1) Where a contract of service entered into under which a task or piece-work is to be performed by an employee, the employee shall be entitled—
(a) when the task has not been completed, at the...
- Section 19 - Deduction of wages
(1) Notwithstanding section 17(1), an employer may deduct from the wages of his employee—
(a) any amount due from the employee as a contribution to any provident fund or superannuation scheme or any...
- Section 20 - Itemised pay statement
(1) An employer shall give a written statement to an employee at or before the time at which any payment of wages or salary is made to the employee.
(2) The statement specified in subsection (1)...
- Section 21 - Statement of statutory deductions
(1) A pay statement issued in accordance with section 20 need not contain separate particulars of statutory deductions if—
(a) it contains an aggregate amount of statutory deduction, including that...
- Section 22 - Power to amend provisions on pay and statements of deductions
The Minister may on the advice of the Board—
(a) vary the provisions of sections 20 and 21 as to the particulars which must be included in a pay statement or a statement of statutory deductions by...
- Section 23 - Security bond for wages
(1) An employer who is not incorporated or resident in Kenya may be required by the Minister to pay a bond assessed at the equivalent of one month’s wages for all employees employed or to be employed...
- Section 24 - Death of an employee
(1) When the death of an employee from any cause whatsoever is brought to the notice or comes to the knowledge of the employee’s employer, the employer shall as soon as practicable thereafter, give...
- Section 25 - Repayment of remuneration wrongfully withheld or deducted
(1) Without prejudice to any other liability for a breach of the provisions of this Part, an employer who contravenes the provisions of this Part commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable...
- Section 26 - Basic minimum conditions of employment
(1) The provisions of this Part and Part VI shall constitute basic minimum terms and conditions of contract of service.
(2) Where the terms and conditions of a contract of service are regulated by...
- Section 27 - Hours of work
(1) An employer shall regulate the working hours of each employee in accordance with the provisions of this Act and any other written law.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), an employee shall be...
- Section 28 - Annual leave
(1) An employee shall be entitled—
(a) after every twelve consecutive months of service with his employer to not less than twenty-one working days of leave with full pay;
(b) where employment is...
- Section 29 - Maternity leave
(1) A female employee shall be entitled to three months maternity leave with full pay.
(2) On expiry of a female employee’s maternity leave as provided in subsections (1) and (3), the female...
- Section 30 - Sick leave
(1) After two consecutive months of service with his employer, an employee shall be entitled to sick leave of not less than seven days with full pay and thereafter to sick leave of seven days with...
- Section 31 - Housing
(1) An employer shall at all times, at his own expense, provide reasonable housing accommodation for each of his employees either at or near to the place of employment, or shall pay to the employee...
- Section 32 - Water
An employer shall provide a sufficient supply of wholesome water for the use of his employees at the place of employment and, as the case may be, within a reasonable distance of any housing...
- Section 33 - Food
(1) An employer shall, where the provision of food has been expressly agreed to in or at the time of entering into a contract of service, ensure that an employee is properly fed and supplied with...
- Section 34 - Medical attention
(1) Subject to subsection (2), an employer shall ensure the sufficient provision of proper medicine for his employees during illness and if possible, medical attendance during serious illness....
- Section 35 - Termination notice
(1) A contract of service not being a contract to perform specific work, without reference to time or to undertake a journey shall, if made to be performed in Kenya, be deemed to be—
(a) where the...
- Section 36 - Payment in lieu of notice
Either of the parties to a contract of service to which section 35(5) applies, may terminate the contract without notice upon payment to the other party of the remuneration which would have been...
- Section 37 - Conversion of causal employment to term contract
(1) Notwithstanding any provisions of this Act, where a casual employee—
(a) works for a period or a number of continuous working days which amount in the aggregate to the equivalent of not less...
- Section 38 - Waiver of notice by employer
Where an employee gives notice of termination of employment and the employer waives the whole or any part of the notice, the employer shall pay to the employee remuneration equivalent to the period of...
- Section 39 - Contract expiring on a journey may be extended
If the period expressed in a contract of service expires, or if an employee seeks to terminate a contract where no agreement is expressed respecting its duration while the employee is engaged on a...
- Section 40 - Termination on account of redundancy
(1) An employer shall not terminate a contract of service on account of redundancy unless the employer complies with the following conditions—
(a) where the employee is a member of a trade union,...
- Section 41 - Notification and hearing before termination on grounds of misconduct
(1) Subject to section 42(1), an employer shall, before terminating the employment of an employee, on the grounds of misconduct, poor performance or physical incapacity explain to the employee, in a...
- Section 42 - Termination of probationary contracts
(1) The provisions of section 41 shall not apply where a termination of employment terminates a probationary contract.
(2) A probationary period shall not be more than six months but it may be...
- Section 43 - Proof of reason for termination
(1) In any claim arising out of termination of a contract, the employer shall be required to prove the reason or reasons for the termination, and where the employer fails to do so, the termination...
- Section 44 - Summary dismissal
(1) Summary dismissal shall take place when an employer terminates the employment of an employee without notice or with less notice than that to which the employee is entitled by any statutory...
- Section 45 - Unfair termination
(1) No employer shall terminate the employment of an employee unfairly.
(2) A termination of employment by an employer is unfair if the employer fails to prove—
(a) that the reason for the...
- Section 46 - Reasons for termination or discipline
The following do not constitute fair reasons for dismissal or for the imposition of a disciplinary penalty—
(a) a female employee’s pregnancy, or any reason connected with her pregnancy;
(b) the...
- Section 47 - Complaint of summary dismissal and unfair termination
(1) Where an employee has been summarily dismissed or his employer has unfairly terminated his employment without justification, the employee may, within three months of the date of dismissal, present...
- Section 48 - Representation
In any complaint made under section 47, no advocate shall represent a party in the proceedings before a labour officer, but any party may be assisted or represented by an official of a trade union or...
- Section 49 - Remedies for wrongful dismissal and unfair termination
(1) Where in the opinion of a labour officer summary dismissal or termination of a contract of an employee is unjustified, the labour officer may recommend to the employer to pay to the employee any...
- Section 50 - Courts to be guided
In determining a complaint or suit under this Act involving wrongful dismissal or unfair termination of the employment of an employee, the Industrial Court shall be guided by the provisions of section...
- Section 51 - Certificate of service
(1) An employer shall issue to an employee a certificate of service upon termination of his employment, unless the employment has continued for a period of less than four consecutive weeks.
(2) A...
- Section 52 - Interpretation
In this Part, except where the context otherwise requires—
“employment” means employment of a child in a situation where—
(a) the child provides labour as an assistant to another person and his...
- Section 53 - Prohibition of worst forms of child labour
(1) Notwithstanding any provision of any written law, no person shall employ a child in any activity which constitutes worst form of child labour.
(2) The Minister shall, in consultation with the...
- Section 54 - Complaint to the labour officer or police officer
(1) A person may make a complaint to a labour officer or a police officer of the rank of an inspector and above if that person considers any child to be employed in any activity which constitutes...