Can you work for a foreign company from Kenya?
Yes: a company abroad can pay you as an independent contractor, employ you through an employer of record, or hire you through its own entity in Kenya. What changes between the three is who handles tax, what protections you get and how the money arrives.
- Checked 4 November 2026
- Every rule links to its official source
- General information, not tax or legal advice
3,094
remote jobs on RemoteHunt say they can hire someone in Kenya
Live count, updated hourly
229 of 1,699
of those jobs that state a contract type are contractor roles; 1,395 are full-time
Live count · 1,699 of 3,094 state a type; a job may state both
Three ways a foreign company can pay you
| Question | Independent contractor | Employee through an employer of record | Employee of a company in Kenya |
|---|---|---|---|
| You sign with | The company abroad (a service agreement) | The employer of record's company in Kenya | The company's own entity in Kenya |
| Income tax | You register and file yourself | Deducted through payroll | Deducted through payroll |
| Leave, notice, social security | Only what your contract says | What employment law in Kenya requires | What employment law in Kenya requires |
| Ask before signing | The currency, the payment channel and who pays the transfer fees | Which employer of record, and whether the contract is under the law of Kenya | Whether the job is really remote or tied to an office |
More on each arrangement: contractor vs. employee.
What the law in Kenya says about income from abroad
- An individual with no permanent home in Kenya is resident for a year of income if present in Kenya for 183 days or more in it; an individual with a permanent home in Kenya is resident if present for any period. Source 1
- Pay for employment or services rendered by a person who is a Kenya resident is deemed to be derived from Kenya, whether the work is done in Kenya or outside Kenya. Source 1
- KRA registers individuals for a PIN online through the iTax portal, by choosing the Individual taxpayer type and the online form. Source 2
- Individual income tax returns for a year of income are filed online through iTax, and are due on or before 30 June of the following year. Source 3
- Every individual holding a KRA PIN files an income tax return each year, including a nil return when there is no income to declare. Source 3
Five questions to ask before you sign
- Am I a contractor or an employee, and under which country's law is the contract?
- In what currency am I paid, and who sets the exchange rate?
- Through which channel does the money arrive, and who pays the fees?
- If an employer of record employs me, which one, and will I get a payslip from Kenya?
- Will anyone ask me to pay for equipment or training? (If yes, walk away.)
This page describes the rules; it does not tell you what to do in your case. Rules change. If something here differs from what the official source says today, the source is right: write to hello@remotehunt.app and we will fix the page.
Sources (each opened on 4 November 2026)
- Laws of Kenya: The Income Tax Act, Cap. 470 (legislation as at 1 July 2026), National Council for Law Reporting (Kenya Law), copy hosted by Kenya Revenue Authority
- How to Register for a KRA PIN [Individual.], Kenya Revenue Authority
- Individual Income Tax - KRA, Kenya Revenue Authority
- RemoteHunt index: live postings, counted hourly
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