Resume rules in Kenya

Q: Should you put a photo on your CV in Kenya?

In practice: Common; especially in private sector and urban markets What the law says: Employment Act 2007 does not mandate or prohibit photos. Constitution (2010) forbids discrimination.

Q: Should you include your date of birth in Kenya?

In practice: Common; many candidates include What the law says: Employment Act 2007 and Constitution forbid age discrimination; date of birth not legally required

Q: Should you state your marital status in Kenya?

In practice: Uncommon; increasingly omitted What the law says: No specific requirement; marital status discrimination prohibited

Q: Should you state your sex or gender in Kenya?

In practice: Optional; increasingly omitted What the law says: Constitution (2010) and Employment Act forbid gender discrimination; no requirement to state

Q: Should you state your nationality in Kenya?

In practice: Optional; Kenyans often include citizenship What the law says: Work permit regime separate; nationality not required by law on CV

Q: Should you include a national ID number in Kenya?

In practice: Uncommon What the law says: Not required on CV; National ID used for employment verification separately (by Huduma Centre)

What employers in Kenya expect on a Curriculum Vitae (CV), what the law lets them ask for, and where the two disagree.

Call it a CV for Kenya or a resume for Kenya: it's the same document. Employers there usually want it written in English.

This is research, not legal advice. Employment and data protection law changes, state and provincial rules matter in federal countries, and practice varies by industry and seniority. Each entry shows when it was looked up and how confident we are. Where nothing reliable was published it says Not found rather than a guess.

Law and practice, side by side

The label on the right is what local hiring expects. The two lines under it are the law and the habit, which often disagree.

Photo: Common

Common; especially in private sector and urban markets

What the law says: Employment Act 2007 does not mandate or prohibit photos. Constitution (2010) forbids discrimination.

Date of birth: Common

Common; many candidates include

What the law says: Employment Act 2007 and Constitution forbid age discrimination; date of birth not legally required

Marital status: Uncommon

Uncommon; increasingly omitted

What the law says: No specific requirement; marital status discrimination prohibited

Sex or gender: Optional

Optional; increasingly omitted

What the law says: Constitution (2010) and Employment Act forbid gender discrimination; no requirement to state

Nationality: Optional

Optional; Kenyans often include citizenship

What the law says: Work permit regime separate; nationality not required by law on CV

National ID number: Uncommon

Uncommon

What the law says: Not required on CV; National ID used for employment verification separately (by Huduma Centre)

The rest of the entry

Local name of the document: Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Language to submit in: English
Typical length: 1-2 pages; 2-3 pages increasingly common
Address detail expected: City/town commonly included; full home address increasingly avoided for privacy
Signature and date: Not required; typed CVs standard; handwritten signatures very rare
Officially prescribed form: None mandatory; Europass sometimes used but not required
Religion, ethnicity or caste: PROTECTED. Constitution (2010) forbids discrimination based on religion, race, ethnicity, national origin. Must not be included.
Health, disability or pregnancy: PROTECTED. Persons with Disabilities Act 2003 and Constitution forbid discrimination. Medical information not required. Disability voluntary disclosure for support purposes.
Other customary attachments: References typically provided separately; police clearance (criminal record check) requested by employer separately for some positions, not on CV
Employer may not ask for: Age, religion, race, ethnicity, national origin, family status, marital status, health conditions, disability status, sexual orientation, HIV status, political affiliation, trade union membership
Named statutes: Employment Act 2007 (Cap. 226, Laws of Kenya); Constitution of Kenya 2010 (especially Articles 27, 32); Persons with Disabilities Act 2003 (Cap. 133); Labour (Relations) Act 2007 (Cap. 234)
Data protection regime: Not found; Kenya lacks comprehensive data protection legislation. Data Protection Act 2019 proposed but not enacted. No national DPA operational.
Anti-discrimination statutes: Employment Act 2007 (Cap. 226); Constitution of Kenya 2010 (Articles 27, 32, 33); Persons with Disabilities Act 2003 (Cap. 133); Labour (Relations) Act 2007 (Cap. 234)
Local language source: English only

Where this came from

Looked up 2026-08-15. Independently checked 2026-08-15. High confidence. Result of that check: Confirmed.

Notes: Kenya has relatively comprehensive employment legislation by African standards. However, enforcement and private-sector practice vary widely. Published government guidance on CV content standards not found. Major urban centers (Nairobi, Mombasa) follow more international practices than rural areas.

Researched with AI assistants working from a written checklist, then independently checked. How we researched this