Losing your job in Kenya: your rights and next steps

What you're owed when a job ends, how to get it, and the registrations to keep up while you look for the next one.

Your checklist. Tick things off as you go; it's saved on this phone only.

1. 1. If you were declared redundant, start with what you're owed. What you are owed if you are declared redundant If your job ends through redundancy, the law says you must get at least 15 days' pay for each full year you worked, one month's notice or one month's wages instead, and cash for any leave you have not taken. Your employer must also tell you (or your union) and the labour officer in advance and choose who goes fairly.
2. 2. If you think the dismissal was unfair. What counts as unfair dismissal Your employer must prove a valid and fair reason for ending your job (your conduct, capacity or compatibility, or its operational needs) and that it followed a fair procedure. If it can't, the dismissal is unfair and you can get compensation of up to 12 months' gross pay, or your job back.
3. 3. Ask for it before you leave: new employers often want it. Your right to a certificate of service when you leave a job If you worked for an employer for 4 weeks or more in a row, the law says they must give you a certificate of service when the job ends. It shows the employer, your name, your start and end dates and the kind and place of your work. Your employer does not have to give a reference on your character or performance.
4. 4. If your employer won't pay what you're owed. Report an employer to the labour office (unpaid wages, unfair dismissal) Go to your area Labour Officer, who will interview you and register your complaint on Form LD 64. If it is not settled in 7 days, the officer calls you and your employer to a meeting to agree on what you are owed.
5. 5. Keep your health cover going once your employer stops paying. Pay your SHA (SHIF) contributions: how much and how SHA contribution is 2.75% of your gross monthly income, with a minimum of KSh 300 a month. Employers deduct it from salaries; if you are not salaried, SHA sets your amount through means testing and you pay by *147#, afyayangu.go.ke or Paybill 200222 (account: your ID number).
6. 6. Register to see jobs and get matched. Register as a jobseeker with the National Employment Authority (NEAIMS) Sign up free on NEAIMS (neaims.go.ke) with your ID number, fill in your profile, and wait for NEA to verify your account. You get a jobseeker number and can apply for vacancies, local and abroad, that match your qualifications.
7. 7. If you're looking at work abroad. Find a job abroad through Kazi Majuu (Diaspora Placement Agency) Browse and apply for overseas jobs on the government's Kazi Majuu portal, run by the Diaspora Placement Agency (DPA). If you are picked, DPA helps with pre-departure training, documents, visa interviews and travel papers.
8. 8. Only if one of its benefits applies to you: retirement, invalidity, survivors or emigration. Claim NSSF benefits (retirement, invalidity, survivors, emigration) Take your NSSF card, ID and the documents for your benefit (like a retirement or termination letter and bank details) to your nearest NSSF branch, fill in the form there and submit it in person. It's free, and age or withdrawal benefits take about 10 working days.