The president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, has increased the country’s minimum wage by 12 per cent.

The country’s current minimum wage is 13,500 Kenyan shillings (N48,444.37)  per month.

Mr Uhuru, in his speech at the Labour Day celebrations in the capital Nairobi, announced the largesse. He said the increment was due to the current rise in inflation in prices of consumer goods. 

He further noted the positive impact the amendment would have on workers. 

According to a release from the  president’s office, Mr Kenyatta was quoted saying “There is a compelling case to review the minimum wage so as to cushion our workers against further erosion of their purchasing power”.

Kenyans have recently been faced with a rise in the cost of consumer products including cooking gas, fuel and other consumer services as a result of the crisis between Russia and Ukraine that began this year.

The African nation gets a sizable amount of its food imports from the warring countries.