The fine print, in plain English.
I operate as an independent contractor, not a marketplace. These terms spell out what that means for you, your finance team, and your legal counsel. Plain language, no buried clauses.
Last updated: July 2026. These Terms govern all engagements unless your Statement of Work (SOW) explicitly states otherwise.
1. The engagement model, an independent practice, not a marketplace
I, Fredrick Gichuki, operate an independent executive-support and market-research practice based in Nairobi, Kenya. I am not a freelance marketplace, a staffing agency, or a referral platform. For Executive Assistant engagements I work as your dedicated EA directly; for Local Market engagements I run the work myself on the ground. This means: (a) I handle my own payroll, statutory deductions (KRA PIN, NSSF, NHIF), benefits, and all Kenyan compliance; (b) you (the “Client”) receive a single monthly invoice and have no employer obligations in your jurisdiction; (c) there is no contractor classification question, no 1099 reporting, no payroll setup on your side. The engagement is a service contract between two businesses, you and me, not an employment relationship.
2. Services
I provide two service lines: (i) Executive & Virtual Assistant services, under which I work as your dedicated EA, professional, briefed, and managed by me; and (ii) Local Market Services, under which I provide primary research, focus groups, surveys, and on-the-ground operational support (business registration, office/retail hunting, regulatory navigation, vendor sourcing) for foreign companies entering Kenya. Each engagement is governed by a Statement of Work (SOW) that specifies scope, deliverables, timeline, and price. These Terms apply to all SOWs unless the SOW explicitly states otherwise.
3. Confidentiality and NDA
I sign a personal non-disclosure agreement with you before the engagement begins. I operate on a least-privilege access model, EAs receive only the tool access required for the scoped work, and I audit that access quarterly. I will execute a mutual NDA with you on request and will sign your standard NDA where required. Confidential information includes but is not limited to: inbox contents, calendar entries, contact lists, financial data, strategic plans, and any material the Client marks as confidential. Obligations survive termination of the engagement indefinitely.
4. Data protection and privacy
I comply with the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019 and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where applicable. I act as a data processor on behalf of the Client; the Client is the data controller. I do not store Client data in my infrastructure, EAs work within the Client’s existing tool stack (Google Workspace, Outlook, Notion, etc.). I will execute a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) on request. All session traffic is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+). For regulated industries I support SOC 2-aligned controls, HIPAA-aligned handling for healthcare, and separate admin credentials for finance-sector work. Breach notification is provided within 72 hours of discovery.
5. Fees, invoicing, and payment
EA placement fees are billed monthly in advance, in USD, by wire transfer or card. Research and local-agent engagements are billed per the SOW, typically 50% on commencement and 50% on delivery, or monthly against milestones. All fees are stated exclusive of applicable taxes (the Client is responsible for any withholding tax, VAT, or sales tax in their jurisdiction). Invoices are due net-15. Late payment accrues interest at 1.5% per month. I reserve the right to suspend service on invoices more than 30 days past due.
6. Trial and scaling
Engagements begin with a one-week trial, 1 to 2 hours per day, on one real task. If the trial is useful to the Client, we scale up gradually to the coverage agreed in the SOW. If it is not, we stop at the end of the trial week with no further commitment. Either party may pause or end the engagement at any point during the trial. After the trial, the engagement continues month-to-month unless the SOW specifies a longer term. If I am unavailable for more than one business day, I will notify the Client and arrange a trusted, briefed backup so coverage does not lapse.
7. Termination
Either party may terminate an EA engagement with 30 days’ written notice. Research and local-agent engagements terminate per the SOW. On termination: (a) the Client pays for services rendered through the termination date; (b) tool access is revoked within 24 hours; (c) all Confidential information is returned or destroyed at the Client’s direction; (d) confidentiality obligations survive. No early-termination fee applies to month-to-month EA retainers.
8. Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, my aggregate liability under any engagement is limited to the fees paid by the Client in the three (3) months preceding the claim. I am not liable for indirect, consequential, or speculative damages, including lost profits, lost deals, or reputational harm. I maintain professional indemnity insurance. I am not liable for force majeure events, including acts of God, government action, internet outages, or civil unrest. The Client is responsible for maintaining their own backups and security controls.
9. Intellectual property
All work product I create for the Client, including emails, documents, research, and reports, is the exclusive property of the Client, to the extent it is not pre-existing methodology of mine (templates, playbooks). I retain a perpetual license to use anonymized engagement data for service improvement and case studies, subject to the Client’s confidentiality terms.
10. Governing law and dispute resolution
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Kenya. Disputes are resolved in the first instance by good-faith negotiation between the parties. If unresolved within 30 days, disputes are submitted to arbitration under the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration (NCIA) Rules, seated in Nairobi, in English. The arbitral award is final and binding. The Client may elect in the SOW to have disputes governed by the laws of England and Wales, or New York, where the Client’s jurisdiction requires it.
11. Changes to these terms
I may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated to active Clients by email at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use of the service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
12. Contact
Fredrick Gichuki, Nairobi, Kenya. Email: fredrickgichuki160@gmail.com. For legal notices, please mark the subject line “Legal Notice.”
Questions about these terms? Email fredrickgichuki160@gmail.com . I’ll reply directly, not a legal queue.