President William Ruto’s advisor on constitutional affairs, Makau Mutua, has disclosed that his salary is aligned with that of a Cabinet Secretary.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Wednesday night, Mutua was asked how much presidential advisors earn.
At first, he questioned the relevance of the inquiry, responding: “Are you asking me how much? Why is that important?”
Pressed further on the matter, he said: “I’m paid the equivalent of a Cabinet Secretary.”
When the interviewer suggested the figure could be “roughly Sh800,000 or Sh700,000,” Mutua replied: “I’m sure you have the figures in your back pocket.”
According to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), a Cabinet Secretary’s gross monthly pay currently stands at about Sh1 million.
This includes basic salary, house allowance and a market adjustment component.
Mutua was named presidential advisor on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
President William Ruto highlighted his long experience in constitutional and legal affairs as he welcomed him into the advisory team.
Advisors are appointed directly by the President to provide specialised counsel in areas such as policy, governance, economy, security and human rights.
While Cabinet Secretaries’ salaries are set by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), the pay for presidential advisors has often been unclear. Article 230 (4) (a) of the Constitution empowers the SRC to review and set the remuneration and benefits for State Officers at the National and County Levels of Government.
SRC undertakes periodic reviews of the salaries of State officers, including the Cabinet Secretaries.
In May 2025, State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito told the National Assembly’s Administration and Internal Security Committee that advisors had supported the President in making key policy decisions.
On their pay, he explained: “The range is that some are at the level of a Cabinet Secretary, others a Principal Secretary.”
He added that advisors fall into different job groups depending on their expertise.
