How many days of annual leave you are entitled to
Employment Act, 2007 · sources read 4 Oct 2026
After every 12 months in a row with the same employer, you are entitled to at least 21 working days of leave on full pay. If your job ends after 2 or more months in a leave year, you are owed at least 1.75 days of paid leave for each completed month.
- Deadline
- Leave not taken in the year must be taken within 18 months of the end of the leave-earning year
- Deadline
- Court claims under the Employment Act: within 3 years
- Where
- Your area Labour Officer (Ministry of Labour labour office), or the Employment and Labour Relations Court
Steps
- If you are denied leave or not paid for leave you are owed, report it to your area Labour Officer. Your complaint is recorded on Form LD 64.
- If it is not settled within 7 days, the Labour Officer calls you and your employer to a conciliation meeting.
- If the employer does not attend, the officer calculates your claim and sends the employer a demand notice to pay.
- You can also take the claim to court, within 3 years of the act you are complaining about.
Watch out
- If you are declared redundant, your employer must pay any leave due to you in cash.
- Your employer can split your leave only with your consent, and one part must be at least two working weeks in a row (unless an agreement says otherwise).
- If your contract gives you more than 21 days, you and your employer agree on how to use the extra days.
Who this covers
- Every employee after 12 consecutive months of service with their employer.
- Employees whose job ends after 2 or more consecutive months in a leave year: 1.75 days for each completed month.
Official sources (2)
- Employment Act (Cap. 226), consolidated new.kenyalaw.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Handling of Labour Disputes labour.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026