A pension is money you put aside while you work so you have an income when you stop. You, and often your employer, pay in regularly. The money is invested so it grows over the years, and when you retire it pays you a lump sum, a regular monthly income, or a mix of both.

There is no single figure. It depends on your age, your income, what you have already saved and when you want to retire. Our retirement calculator works it out for you and shows how much more to save each month to reach 60%, 80% or 100% of your goal. The earlier you start and the more regularly you save, the less you need to put aside each month.

As early as you can. Money you save in your twenties has decades to grow, so each shilling does more work than money saved later. If you are starting in your 40s or 50s, it is still worth it: saving a little more each month, retiring a little later and reviewing your plan every year can make a real difference.

You don�t need an employer to build a pension. You can open your own Individual Pension Plan (IPP) and start making regular contributions towards the retirement income you want to achieve.

You can contribute through M-PESA, an M-PESA Ratiba standing order, debit order, or salary deduction. The important part is starting with an amount you can consistently maintain and building from there over time.

With SanlamAllianz, you can open and manage your IPP through the Akiba Plus platform, where you can keep track of your contributions as you save.

Your savings stay yours. You can usually move them to your new employer's scheme or to a preservation fund so they keep growing. You may be able to take part of the money in cash, but the rest stays invested until retirement, and anything you withdraw early is money your future self will not have. Ask your scheme what applies to you before you decide.

For most people, no. NSSF is Kenya's national social security scheme and a solid foundation, but contributions are capped. Since February 2026, you and your employer each pay 6% of your pay up to KES 108,000, a maximum of KES 6,480 a month each. Topping up through your employer's pension scheme or a personal pension plan helps close the gap.

Yes. Contributions to a registered pension scheme are tax deductible up to KES 30,000 a month (KES 360,000 a year), so saving for retirement can also lower the tax you pay.

Pension schemes in Kenya are regulated by the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA). In a registered scheme, your money is held by an independent custodian, separate from your employer or the scheme provider, and invested by a licensed fund manager. Before you join a scheme, check that it is registered with the RBA.

You can usually take part of your savings as a lump sum and use the rest for a regular income. That income can come from an annuity, which pays you for life, or from income drawdown, where your money stays invested and you draw an amount each month. Many people also set money aside for medical costs, which tend to rise with age.