The study aims at assessment of the effect of reward on employee motivation in selected higherrneducation institutions. Descriptive research design and survey data collection were used torndescribe the effect of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards on employee motivation. Besidesrnexplanatory research design was used to test the relationship among reward and motivationrnrelated variables. Out of a total target population of 869 administrative employees,274 samplesrnwere taken in probability sampling more specifically, stratified sampling ,technique from the twornhigher education institutions/ECSU & TVETI/. Questionnaire was developed and distributed tornthe administrative employees. The finding of the study indicated that administrative employees ofrnthe institutions have moderate satisfaction with the total reward practices. However; employeesrnare motivated better by intrinsic rewards than extrinsic rewards. When each extrinsic rewardrnitems were computed, employees showed dissatisfaction from benefits, specifically medicalrnallowances. Similarly, when variables of each intrinsic reward were examined employees havernmoderate satisfaction in involvement in decision making process .Moreover findings showedrnthat, work motivation had a statically significant and positive correlation with other rewardrnvariables (benefit, supervision, recognition, promotion, work content & work condition). Therernwas also a statistically significant and positive correlation between reward practice and the totalrnwork motivation=0.77, pâ‰¤0.001.This implies that total reward practice and work motivation arernhighly correlated. Therefore, it is recommended that the management of higher educationrninstitutions, should review different reward mechanisms/both intrinsic & extrinsic/tornadministrative employees so as to retain and attract talent employees in the organization