Glossary term
Gang Pay
Gang pay is a way of paying construction labour by the team rather than the individual. A gang leader or subcontractor is responsible for a group of fundis and is paid for their combined work.
Many Kenyan sites are built by gangs: a leader, a few skilled fundis and their helpers working as one unit. Gang pay suits that structure, but only when the split is clear and the money reaches every member.
Updated October 17, 2026 · Glossary
How gang pay works
A subcontractor or gang leader agrees a rate with the contractor, often per square metre, per block laid or per completed section. The leader organises the fundis, keeps the group moving and is paid for the finished work. How the money is shared out among the gang is usually left to the leader.
Where it goes wrong
Gang pay puts a layer between the contractor and the worker. If the split is vague, a leader can delay or short-change helpers, and the contractor may not know which fundi actually worked. Unrecorded gangs are also a compliance risk when an NCA inspector asks for worker records.
Making gang pay transparent
FundiPay pays the gang and the individuals inside it. The gang is set up as a paying group, every member's days are recorded on the muster roll, and wages can go straight to each fundi rather than through one hand.
- Set up each gang as a paying group
- Record every member on the muster roll
- Pay each fundi directly by M-Pesa B2C
- Keep the split visible to the whole gang
Frequently asked questions
Who is liable for paying the gang members?
The contractor remains responsible for wages reaching the workers it engaged. Paying the gang leader does not remove that duty, so a clear record of who worked and who was paid protects everyone.
Should I pay the leader or each fundi?
Where the gang allows it, paying each member directly by M-Pesa B2C removes disputes and gives every fundi a payslip. Some gangs still prefer the leader to collect and share; FundiPay can support either arrangement.
How is gang work measured?
Commonly by output — per square metre of wall, per block, per metre of trench or per completed section. Agree the rate and the measured quantity in writing before work starts.
Keep reading
Product
Subcontractor & Gang Payments
Pay entire gangs in one payroll run, track subcontractor work-in-progress against verified attendance, and settle at agreed rates.
Solutions
For Subcontractors
Run your own gang payroll, prove attendance to the main contractor, and get paid faster with clean, auditable wage records.
Glossary
Muster Roll
The daily attendance record of every worker on a construction site — the document payroll is built from.