How much pocket money should you give your child in Kenya?

By the myKesho team · Updated 25 October 2026

• Rule of thumb: KES 10 to 20 a week per year of age, for day school.
• Boarding: a weekly share of a term amount works better than one lump sum at drop-off.
• Split every payment: most to spend, some to save, a little to share.
• Raise it on birthdays, and when you hand over a new expense like bus fare or data.
• There’s no official Kenyan survey of pocket money. These are suggestions, not averages.

Pocket money by age: a starting point

There’s no national survey of what Kenyan parents give, so treat these as a starting point to adjust to your budget, your area and what the money has to cover.

If you pay monthly instead, multiply by four. Weekly works better for younger children: a month is a long time to wait when you’re seven, and a bad week only costs a week.

Decide what it covers before you decide the amount

The amount only makes sense once you’ve said what it’s for. KES 100 a week that covers snacks is generous. KES 100 a week that covers snacks, bus fare and data is a cut.

Write down two lists with your child:

• Pocket money pays for: snacks at school, airtime or data, small treats, saving for things they want.
• You still pay for: school fees, uniform, books on the school list, lunch, transport to school, medical costs.

Then add things to the first list as they grow. A 14-year-old who manages their own data bundle learns more than one who asks every time it runs out.

Boarding school pocket money

For boarding, most families give one amount for the whole term. The trouble with handing it all over at drop-off is that it’s usually gone by week three.

A better way is to agree the term total, then release a share each week. For a 13-week term and KES 2,600, that’s KES 200 a week. Many schools keep pocket money in a bursar or "bank" system, so ask how yours works before you agree an amount. We’ve written a full guide to planning boarding term money.

Split it into three jars

Every time pocket money comes in, split it:

• Spend: most of it, maybe 60 to 70%. This is theirs to use.
• Save: 20 to 30%, towards a goal they choose.
• Share: around 10%, for giving at church, a harambee or a friend in need.

Younger children do well with a bigger Save share, because their goals are small and close. Teenagers need more in Spend, because they’re practising running a budget. We explain the idea in spend, save and share.

When to raise it

• On birthdays. Easy to remember and easy to explain: you’re older, so you get a little more.
• When you hand over a cost. If they now buy their own data, add roughly what you used to spend on it.
• Not when they run out. If the money is gone by Tuesday, that’s the lesson working. Help them plan next week instead of topping up.

Should pocket money depend on chores?

Families split on this, and both sides have a point. A common middle way: a small fixed amount just for being part of the family, plus extra for bigger jobs beyond the normal ones. We go through the options in should you pay children for chores.

How myKesho helps

In myKesho you set the weekly amount and the day it lands, and it splits into your child’s Wallet, Save and Share jars automatically. You keep the cash; the app keeps the record. Your child asks before using their money, and you say yes or not yet. For boarders, Term pocket money opens one week’s share every Monday.

Questions parents ask

Lessons for your child

• Wallet, Save and Share: Why your money lives in three places
• Needs and wants: Tell needs from wants so your money lasts
• Planning a month: A simple budget: money in, saving and spending

More guides

• Boarding school pocket money: how to plan the term
• Should you pay children for chores?
• How to teach your child about money in Kenya