Feet on the ground in Nairobi, for the questions Google can't answer.
Foreign companies entering Kenya need more than a desk. They need primary research before launch, regulatory navigation during set-up, and a trusted local hand to handle the operational realities. I am that hand.
Primary research designed and run locally.
From a 10-person expert interview series to a 2,000-respondent national survey, I handle the design, recruitment, fieldwork, and synthesis. Methodologically rigorous, transparent, and deliverable in your format.
Primary research
Custom-designed quantitative and qualitative studies, from market sizing to competitive landscaping. I recruit the respondents, run the fieldwork, and deliver the analysis.
What you receive
- ·Research design brief
- ·Fieldwork (n=50-2,000)
- ·Coded data set
- ·Executive report
Focus groups & interviews
Recruited focus groups (consumer, B2B, expert) and 1:1 depth interviews, in English or Swahili, run by moderators trained on Western research norms.
What you receive
- ·Discussion guide
- ·Recruited participants
- ·Recording & transcripts
- ·Thematic synthesis
Surveys & polling
Nationwide or urban-focused surveys, run on CATI, CAWI, or face-to-face. Representative sampling, weighting, and full methodological transparency.
What you receive
- ·Questionnaire design
- ·Fieldwork & QC
- ·Weighted dataset
- ·Topline + full report
Mystery shopping & UX
Mystery-shopping audits, retail checks, and UX research for products entering the Kenyan market, competitor benchmarks and customer-journey mapping included.
What you receive
- ·Audit framework
- ·Field visits
- ·Photo/video evidence
- ·Benchmark dashboard
The operational hand you don't have in Nairobi.
For companies without a local entity or team, I act as your on-the-ground operator, from incorporation paperwork to retail site viewings to vendor diligence.
Business registration & licensing
Company incorporation, KRA PIN, NSSF, NHIF, county permits, sector-specific licenses. I handle the queue so your team doesn’t have to.
Office & retail space hunting
Shortlist viewings, negotiate leases, and assess locations against footfall, demographics, and infrastructure. From a desk in Westlands to a flagship on Moi Avenue.
Regulatory navigation
Mapping the regulators that apply to your sector, from KRA to CAK, KEBS to NEMA, and managing the filings, renewals, and correspondence.
Local partner & vendor sourcing
Screening distributors, manufacturers, logistics providers, and professional-services firms. I pre-diligence, you decide.
Three groups hire me for this work, repeatedly.
Market-entry teams
Consumer-goods and tech companies validating Kenya as a launch market before committing capital.
Strategy consultancies
Global firms running primary research for a client engagement, needing local fieldwork they can trust.
Investors & PE
General partners and family offices diligencing Kenyan assets, sponsors, and operating environments.
Scoping a project? Send a brief.
I respond within one business day with a proposed approach, sample frame, timeline, and fixed quote. No retainers required for project work.