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Employer of Record (EOR) Services in Kenya

Employer of Record


$399/month

Contractor 
Management

$49/month

Talent Sourcing


2% of gross salary / month

Start hiring in Kenya

Simple, compliant hiring with Horizons EOR

Hire in Kenya

Horizons enables any business, anywhere in the world, to easily hire a workforce in Kenya, quickly, compliantly, and cost-effectively.

The Horizons Kenya EOR solution enables your company to hire a complete team in Kenya, without the need for a local entity or subsidiary.

When you engage a Kenya EOR, you save your business time and money, and guarantee compliance.

Note, a Kenya Employer of Record is also known as a Kenya Professional Employer Organization (PEO).

Facts & Stats

EOR Platform

Hire in Kenya, and pay employees through our platform or app.

EOR Cost

Our Kenya EOR solution is the most affordable on the market.

Time-to-hire

Fast onboarding in Kenya, hire in as little as 24 hours.

Contracts

We draft labor contracts compliant with Kenyan labor law.

Local Benefits

We administer all mandatory benefits and contributions in Kenya.

185+ Countries

It doesn’t stop with Kenya — we are an international EOR

stay compliant with Kenya labor laws

Employment Laws

Employment contracts in Kenya

Kenya is an East African country with a market-based economy and a young, educated English-speaking population. While the bulk of the Kenyan economy is focused on agriculture and agriculture-related businesses, Kenya also has a developed and growing tech startup ecosystem which is consistently producing tech-savvy workers.

The Kenyan labor market has grown in recent years, with data from 2021 suggesting 3.32% growth of the labor market even as the employment rate remains relatively stagnant. This job demand may represent an opportunity for international companies wanting to hire in Kenya.

For companies wanting to hire in East Africa, Kenya is a top choice as the hub of East African business. Opening a subsidiary in Kenya can be costly, however; outsourcing your international HR efforts to a trusted Kenya EOR is often the quickest and most affordable path to hiring in Kenya.

What is a Kenya EOR?

A Kenya Professional Employer Organization, or Kenya EOR, is a speicalist HR company that hires employees on behalf of client companies. It takes over hiring, payroll, and employment compliance so that client companies can focus on their core business.

A Kenya EOR could be a domestic EOR, only supporting based in Kenya and only hiring and processing payroll in that country. Or, they could be regional Africa EOR, supporting client companies throughout the region. Or, they could be a Global EOR, hiring employees all over the world, including in Kenya.

Horizons is a global EOR that supports companies to hire employees in Kenya, Africa, and throughout the world.

Fixed-term

Probationary period

6 months

Termination notice period

1 week notice: 0 – 1 year of employment

2 weeks notice: 1 – 3 years’ employment

3 weeks notice: 3 – 5 years’ employment

4 weeks notice: 5+ years’ employment

+1 week if the employee is aged 45 with >2 years’ employment

Severance

Only in cases of termination due to business-related reasons

4 – 12 weeks’ salary, depending on years of service

Severance

Early dismissal or resignation is not possible – only mutual agreement or extraordinary circumstances.

Indefinite

Probationary period

6 months

Termination notice period

1 week notice: 0 – 1 year of employment

2 weeks notice: 1 – 3 years’ employment

3 weeks notice: 3 – 5 years’ employment

4 weeks notice: 5+ years’ employment

+1 week if the employee is aged 45 with >2 years’ employment

Severance

Only in cases of termination due to business-related reasons

4 – 12 weeks’ salary, depending on years of service

What are the benefits of a Kenya EOR?

A Kenya EOR provides client companies with access to talented employees, without having to worry about setting up payroll, benefits or HR services themselves.

This allows ambitious companies to focus on their core objectives, without worrying about administrative tasks such as payroll processing, HR management and employee tax compliance obligations.

Finally, since many Kenyan workers prefer working for foreign companies because of their higher salaries and better benefits packages than those offered by local companies, hiring through a Kenya EOR allows the company to benefit from a lower payroll burden than operating directly in Kenya would require.

The additional benefits of using a Kenya EOR are:

  • Cost savings – up to 85% compared to opening a local subsidiary
  • Speed of hiring – hire your employee in 24 hours, instead of the months it may require to open a subsidiary
  • Guaranteed labor law compliance – as the Kenya EOR would be the legal employer, we take care of all HR formalities while you retain direct supervision of the employee
  • Access to global benefits – take advantage of EOR group plans to offer unbeatable benefits for your team
  • Data security – advanced EOR platforms allow you to manage leave, expenses, and keep your data safe at all times.

How does a Kenya EOR help businesses hire employees?

EORs in Kenya will generally follow the following steps:

  • Step 1: Engagement
    When you contact a Kenya EOR they will usually reach out to find out more about your situation, and provide you with a detailed, itemized, estimate of the costs you should expect to incur during the course of your hiring in Kenya.
  • Step 2: Employment facilitation
    The Kenya EOR will draft the labor contract for employees to sign, sometimes digitally.
    Step 3: Administrative onboarding
    All key declarations and registrations are made in Kenya, including tax registration. Depending on the employee’s nationality and benefits offered (e.g. insurances), this might include work permits and visas.
  • Step 4: Monthly payroll processing
    The Kenya EOR calculates all regulatory payroll items and ensure all taxes and contributions are paid monthly. You are invoiced for the costs of the employee plus the EOR fee each month.
  • Step 5: Ongoing HR & administrative support
    When there are questions from either you or your employee regarding HR matters, the Kenya EOR is there as the HR and employment law expert for Kenya.
  • Step 6: Further expansion
    If later you are ready to hire in another country, a global EOR will be able to support you. There are 180+ countries supported by Horizons, and a dedicated account manager can start the process in any country. Or, in many cases, you can raise the hire request directly on the Horizons platform (desktop) or Horizons App (mobile).
  • Step 7: Offboarding
    When the employment arrangement for your Kenya employee comes to an end, the Kenya EOR is there to guide and support all parties toward a smooth and compliant transition.

Leave management and national holidays in Kenya

A Kenya EOR can administer benefits for your entire Kenya team. This includes leave management, pensions, healthcare and various social contributions.

Employees in Kenya are entitled to 21 working days of paid annual leave. In addition, they are entitled to the following public holidays:

Kenya has a range of national public holidays that are celebrated annually. In 2024 these holidays are:

 

DateHoliday name
1 Jan MondayNew Year’s Day
29 Mar FridayGood Friday
1 Apr MondayEaster Monday
10 Apr WednesdayEid al-Fitr
1 May WednesdayLabour Day/May Day
1 Jun SaturdayMadaraka Day
17 Jun MondayEid al-Adha (Tentative Date)
10 Oct ThursdayHuduma Day
20-21 Oct Sunday-MondayMashujaa Day
1 Nov FridayDiwali
12 Dec ThursdayJamhuri Day
25 Dec WednesdayChristmas Day
26 Dec ThursdayBoxing Day

Note also that there are some regional or local holidays that are only celebrated in certain parts of Kenya.

Paternity and Maternity leave in Kenya

Mothers in Kenya are entitled to 3 months’ paid maternity leave. Fathers in Kenya are entitled to 2 weeks’ paid paternity leave.

Employer pension contributions in Kenya

Kenya has two bodies that help citizens save for retirement: the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), for employees, and MOBIKEZ (Online pension platform), for informal workers.

The NSSF is the body that regulates the occupational pension scheme in Kenya. Employers have an obligation to pay into the NSSF at a rate of 6.0% of employee salary per month (to a maximum 200 KSH per month).

Income tax withholding in Kenya

Kenya has a progressive income tax system with the following rates:

  • 10.00% of employee salary: up to 24,000 KES (per month), 288,000 KES (per year)
  • 25.00% of employee salary: next 8,333 KES (per month), 100,000 KES (per year)
  • 30.00% of employee salary: income over 32,333 KES (per month), 388,000 KES (per year)

Payroll tax in Kenya

Employer taxes cost 6.0% of an employee’s monthly salary + 50 KSH for the National Industrial Training Levy (NITA). The NITA is a state corporation created to promote the highest possible standards for industrial quality, efficiency, and safety. Trainings attended by employees which are accredited by NITA are eligible for a refund from NITA upon application by the employer. There is an additional contribution of 1.50% of an employee’s monthly contribution stuck in the courts. If ruled favourable, this contribution would support the National Housing Development Fund. Currently this contribution is not collected by employers in Kenya.

Kenya's healthcare system

Healthcare and health insurance in Kenya

Employers in Kenya are obligated by law to provide medical treatment to employees during time of service. As such, employers should provide adequate health insurance to all employees in Kenya. The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) is the largest health insurance provider in Kenya; packages from the NHIF include comprehensive medical coverage for all diseases.

Horizons also offers affordable comprehensive international medical insurance for any employee based anywhere in the world, for an additional cost.

Hire through a Kenya EOR

Kenya Employer of Record (Kenya EOR) solutions take the stress out of hiring employees in Kenya. Through an EOR solution, any company, anywhere in the world can hire employees in Kenya, quickly and cost-effectively.

Hire borderless talent with Horizons

Hire in Kenya without your own local entity.

With Horizons, you get quick service, transparent pricing, and expert support.

Frequently asked questions

Generally speaking, the terms “Kenya PEO” and “Kenya EOR” are used interchangeably.

A Kenya EOR is a good option for international businesses that seek to hire and pay employees in Kenya in full compliance with tax and labor laws.

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