The State Department of Labour was established following the reorganization of Government in May, 2016. The State Department is one of the two State Departments under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. The State Department has existed in various forms since independence in 1963. It was under the then Ministry of East African Community, Labour and Social Service, prior to the reorganization of Government in 2016.

The State Department for Labour contributes to the country’s development through: promotion of harmonious industrial relations; safety and health at workplace; employment promotion; industrial training; productivity management; planning for human resource development and utilization; registration and regulation of trade unions.

Structure of the State Department

The State Department for Labour comprises of five (5) technical departments namely:

• Department of Labour;
• Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services;
• Office of the Registrar of Trade Unions;
• National Productivity and Competitiveness Centre of Kenya and
• Department of National Human Resource Planning Development.

The State Department has one Autonomous Government Agency (AGA), the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and Two Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs) namely: National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) and National Employment Authority (NEA). The gazetted entities under the State Department are: National Labour Board; and National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH).