The verdict in three sentences
For an immigration and relocation firm website in Nairobi, a local agency is often the best choice: it costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, 80 000 to 600 000 KES (about 620 to 4 650 USD), meets your team and can film your offices. A remote studio like Kolonell, at 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD fixed price, makes sense mainly if your clients are international and expect native English or French copy, with a project manager and a written scope. Either way, the site must never promise a permit or a processing time.
Which criteria should you compare between a local agency and a remote studio?
| Criterion | Nairobi agency | Remote studio (Kolonell) |
|---|---|---|
| Physical presence | Workshops in your Westlands or Kilimani office | No in-person meetings, Google Meet calls |
| Team photos and video | Often offered | Not included: your images or a local photographer |
| Time zone | The same | Team in Senegal (GMT), three hours behind Nairobi, calls in your hours |
| Price, 2026 order of magnitude | 80 000 to 600 000 KES (about 620 to 4 650 USD) | 2 900 USD / 4 900 USD / 8 900 USD, fixed price |
| Timeline | 4 to 10 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks, Premium usually 4 to 6 |
| Native English and French copy | Varies, French often outsourced | Included, bilingual FR/EN site from Premium |
| Ownership | Check the contract | Domain in your name, all access handed over |
| Support after launch | Separate contract | 3 months, 6 in Premium |
Local ranges come from rate cards published by Nairobi agencies, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co and rates visible on Upwork and Fiverr; high-end studios sometimes exceed 1 500 000 KES (about 11 600 USD). Indicative conversion: about 129 KES to 1 USD. Offer details are on our international websites page.
When is the local agency clearly the better choice?
To be frank, in several situations a Nairobi agency will do better and for less:
- Budget under 2 900 USD: a good local freelancer delivers a clean site for 30 000 to 150 000 KES, about 230 to 1 160 USD.
- Swahili content and a mostly Kenyan clientele.
- Regular shoots needed: video testimonials, home tours, team portraits.
- In-person workshops with several partners who prefer to decide around a table.
- Integrations with local payment or CRM tools the agency already knows.
When does a remote studio like Kolonell make sense?
A Nairobi relocation firm's clients are often international: staff of United Nations agencies in Gigiri, NGOs, multinationals based in Westlands or Upper Hill, diplomats, and families looking for an international school in Karen, Runda or Lavington. These readers compare from abroad, often before a contract is even signed.
Kolonell fits if you want native English and French copy, a project manager sending a written update every week, a fixed price paid by bank transfer or Wise (50 % at kickoff, 50 % on delivery) and full ownership of the site.
| Item | Starter 2 900 USD | Growth 4 900 USD | Premium 8 900 USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service pages | Immigration and relocation | Work permits, home search, schools, settling in, departure | Full structure by profile (employee, family, corporate HR) |
| Neighbourhood pages | No | Gigiri, Westlands, Karen, Kilimani | Detailed pages with schools and commutes |
| Inquiry form | Short form | Qualified form: arrival date, family size, employer, housing budget | Separate private and corporate paths |
| Bilingual FR/EN site | No | No | Included |
| Timeline | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks | Written plan, usually 4 to 6 weeks |
| Support | 3 months | 3 months | 6 months |
A client portal with case tracking, document upload or an HR area for companies is a custom application, quoted separately. Ongoing SEO is also quoted separately.
Which rules govern a relocation firm website in Kenya?
- Personal data: the Kenya Data Protection Act 2019 applies, supervised by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, with which many data controllers must register. Passport copies, employment contracts and family details are sensitive: do not collect them through a simple form.
- Immigration: permits are issued by the Kenyan immigration authorities. The site must not guarantee approval or promise a timeline, and should state whether an advocate admitted to the bar handles legal questions.
- Accessibility: aim for WCAG 2.1 AA.
This is not legal advice.
Which questions should you ask each supplier?
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- Who writes the English and French copy, and can you show a sample?
- How many revision rounds are included?
- What does adding a neighbourhood page or a new service cost?
- Are the domain and hosting in our name?
- How is data received through the form protected?
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Wanjiru N. runs a six-person relocation firm that supports expatriate families, many of them French-speaking. She wants a bilingual site.
- Nairobi agency: 350 000 KES, about 2 710 USD, plus 120 000 KES of French translation, about 930 USD, so 3 640 USD, 8 weeks, shoot included.
- Kolonell Premium: 8 900 USD, bilingual FR/EN written natively, usually 4 to 6 weeks, no shoot.
The gap is 5 260 USD in favour of the local agency. For Wanjiru, the agency is the rational choice unless French quality is decisive: she asks the agency for a sample translated page before signing, and keeps Kolonell as an alternative if the sample does not convince her.
FAQ
How much does a relocation firm website cost in Nairobi?
As a 2026 order of magnitude, 80 000 to 600 000 KES with an agency, about 620 to 4 650 USD, and 30 000 to 150 000 KES with a freelancer. Kolonell charges 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD.
Is a local agency cheaper than Kolonell?
Yes, in most cases. Kolonell is justified for native English and French copy, a project manager and a fixed price.
Can the site receive passport copies?
Not through a simple form. A secure document upload area is a custom application, quoted separately, to be designed with the Kenya Data Protection Act 2019 in mind.
Does Kolonell work in Nairobi hours?
Yes. The team is three hours behind Nairobi and schedules Google Meet calls in your hours, with a written update every week.
Can we display permit processing times?
Avoid any promise. You can describe the steps in 4 or 5 points and state that timelines depend on the authorities.
Let's scope your project. Send us your services, your client profiles and your languages, and we will propose a fixed-price package delivered in 3 to 6 weeks. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
