There is no honest universal answer to what outsourcing to Kenya costs. The right number is the total cost of delivering the required outcome at the required quality and risk level. A salary-only comparison will usually be wrong in one direction or the other.
Start with a complete UK baseline
For each UK role, include salary plus the employment and operating costs that the company actually bears. For 2026/27, the standard employer Class 1 National Insurance rate is 15% above the secondary threshold, with category-specific exceptions and reliefs. Add pension and benefits, recruitment, equipment, software, workspace, training, management time, absence cover, and expected replacement cost where relevant.
Use HMRC’s 2026/27 employer rates for the current National Insurance assumptions.
Then define the Kenya quote
A Treba proposal should state the monthly or unit price and show what is included. Depending on the engagement, this may cover local salary, statutory employment costs, payroll and HR administration, workspace, equipment, connectivity, security controls, recruitment, and Treba’s service fee. The signed proposal—not a generic rate card—is the source of truth.
Comparison
| Cost area | Question to ask | Comparison treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Employment | Are salary, statutory deductions and benefits included? | Avoid adding included costs twice |
| Recruitment | Is sourcing, vetting and replacement included? | Model any excluded fees |
| Workspace and equipment | What device, office and connectivity standard is provided? | Match the security requirement |
| Management and QA | Who directs work and who signs off quality? | Add internal management time |
| Data and compliance | Are DPA, transfer safeguards, access controls and audits included? | Price required controls |
| Currency | Is the fee fixed in GBP, KES or another currency? | Run an exchange-rate sensitivity |
| Exit | What are notice, handover and data-return costs? | Include likely transition cost |
The four costs most often missed
How to use the 60–80% planning range
Treba uses 60–80% as an indicative reduction in total role cost for suitable UK-to-Nairobi comparisons. It should be tested role by role. The range is most credible when both sides use the same scope, hours, seniority, tools, security requirement, management model, and quality standard.
Do not promise a single percentage in a social post unless the landing page explains the basis. Use language such as ‘potentially 60–80% lower total role cost, depending on role and scope’ and route the reader to a costed proposal.
A simple total-cost formula
UK option = employment cost + recruitment + workplace and tools + compliance + management + expected change and replacement cost.
Kenya option = provider fees + excluded pass-through costs + UK management + client-owned tools and controls + expected change and exit cost.
Compare the two over the same period, then test a base case, a higher-cost case, and a slower-ramp case. The cheapest credible option is the one that still works in the downside scenario.
Red flags in a proposal
- A salary figure presented as the total price.
- No named assumptions for hours, seniority, equipment, security, or management.
- Savings calculated against London salary alone but excluding equivalent Kenya-side costs.
- Unclear exchange-rate adjustment or pass-through rules.
- No measurable quality standard, replacement process, or exit plan.
The practical next step
Provide the role, seniority, hours, tools, data access, quality measures, and expected start date. A useful proposal should return an all-in price, inclusions and exclusions, operating model, implementation plan, and assumptions that finance and compliance can challenge.
Key takeaways
Compare fully loaded UK cost with an all-in Kenya quote—not UK salary with Nairobi salary.
For 2026/27, the standard employer Class 1 National Insurance rate is 15% above the secondary threshold, subject to rules and reliefs.
Treba’s 60–80% savings range is indicative; validate it role by role with the same scope and quality standard.
Include onboarding, UK management, QA, currency terms, change, and exit in the total-cost model.
Written by
Abdi MohamedFounder of Treba. Building UK–Kenya teams across finance, legal, CX, and AI operations.
