What to look for before hiring a web developer in Kenya

Every web developer in Kenya will show you a portfolio and quote you a price. What separates a good outcome from a bad one usually shows up in the details neither side mentions upfront.

Ask to see the actual live sites, not just screenshots. A polished screenshot can hide a slow-loading, broken-on-mobile site. Open their past work on your own phone before agreeing to anything.

Ask who owns the code and the domain once the project is done. Some developers build on locked-down platforms or keep domain/hosting control themselves, which leaves you stuck if the relationship ends. You should own your domain registration and have access to your hosting account, full stop.

Ask what happens after launch. Does the quote include any support period? What is the cost for a small content update six months from now? Developers who dodge this question are usually planning to charge whatever they want later.

Ask about the tech stack, and whether it matches your actual needs. A basic brochure site does not need a custom framework and a database. A booking or e-commerce site absolutely does. If a developer proposes the same stack for every project regardless of what it is, that is a sign they are not tailoring the solution to your business.

Watch for vague timelines and vague scope. "2-4 weeks" with no defined pages, revisions, or deliverables list is how projects run six weeks over and cost more than quoted. A solid proposal defines exactly what is being built, how many revision rounds are included, and what counts as a change request outside that.

Ask if they can connect the website to other systems you use or plan to use — a CRM, an accounting tool, a booking system. A developer who only builds static, disconnected websites will hit a ceiling the moment your business needs the site to actually do something, not just look good.

The lowest quote and the highest quote are rarely the safest choice. The safest choice is the developer who asks you the most questions before naming a price at all.