Kenya Parliament Proposes Redefining 'Employee' in Employment Act to Include Remote Workers

Kenya's National Assembly is proposing amendments to the Employment Act to formally recognize remote workers as employees. AllAfrica reported that National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah said the changes appear in Clause 10, which redefines "employee" and "employer" to cover people working remotely, particularly those in business process outsourcing and IT-enabled services.

Ichung'wah told lawmakers that the current Employment Act was designed around traditional workplaces where employees held appointment letters, contracts and physical office locations.

"In today's world, with business process outsourcing and the remote work environment, you do not necessarily need to have an appointment letter or even a physical address where you work from," he said. Remote working expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to grow, particularly among young Kenyans providing services to clients locally and abroad, Ichung'wah noted.

Ichung’wah said the changes would support remote work and open employment opportunities, though lawmakers have not yet addressed how rights and obligations would be enforced for remote staff.

The bill was introduced in the National Assembly and reported by Capital FM on July 1, 2026.