Service charge: the tip already on your bill
Hotels and restaurants that are part of the industry's agreement with the hotel workers' union add a service charge for staff. The 2019 agreement set it at 7%, plus 5.5% on drinks, according to The Star. Not every restaurant charges it, so read the bill.
The tax law treats a genuine service charge as staff money. Section 13(7) of the VAT Act leaves it out of the price VAT is charged on, but only if it goes directly to employees under a written agreement and is no more than 10% of the bill. The 2% tourism levy, covered in tourism levy in Kenya, is also excluded.
Rough guide by situation
| Situation | What people commonly do |
|---|---|
| Restaurant, no service charge on the bill | Around 10%, if the service was good |
| Restaurant with a service charge | Nothing extra needed; round up if you like |
| Uber or Bolt ride, food delivery | Optional; use the in-app tip or cash |
| Hotel staff, city or coast | KES 1,000 to 2,000 per room per day, left in the staff tips box at checkout (Expert Africa) |
| Safari driver-guide and camp staff | About USD 20 or KES 2,000 per room or tent per day, half to the guide and half to the camp (Expert Africa) |
These are customs, not rules. The hotel and safari figures are from Expert Africa, a UK safari operator, which also notes that tipping is not customary everywhere in Kenya.
Tipping on Uber, Bolt and delivery apps
- Uber: after rating the driver you can add a tip in the app, up to 30 days after the trip. Uber says it takes no fees on tips. If the option does not appear, tip in cash (Uber Kenya).
- Bolt: riders can leave a tip after a ride, and Bolt says it is the driver's in full (Bolt).
- Bolt Food: the courier keeps the whole tip, paid after each completed delivery (Bolt Food).
Tipping by M-PESA
M-PESA has no special tip button. To tip someone directly, send money to their number or pay their Pochi la Biashara, and the normal charges apply; see M-PESA charges. Some hotels and restaurants use Shukran, where guests tip by card or mobile money and the tips are pooled and paid to each staff member's M-PESA. Shukran says a processing fee applies but does not publish the rate.
Related
Sources
- VAT Act (Cap 476), section 13(7), KRA consolidated text, read 30 October 2026
- The Star, 9 April 2019: hotel workers' CBA approved
- Uber Kenya: tips, read 30 October 2026
- Bolt: driver earnings, Nairobi and Bolt Food courier earnings, read 30 October 2026
- Shukran, read 30 October 2026
- Expert Africa: tipping in Kenya, read 30 October 2026