By now, you’ve probably spent countless hours scouring the internet for online writing gigs in Kenya – anything to turn your passion for writing into a decent income stream or even a full-time career. I get it, the struggle is real when it comes to landing remote writing jobs. There were times I nearly gave up and resigned myself to finding a regular 9-to-5 instead. But before you throw in the towel, let’s talk about one platform that, based on my experience, is probably not worth your valuable time and effort.
The site I’m referring to is called “Hire Writers Kenya” which runs two websites for hiring writers and facilitating payments. Now, I’m not here to bad-mouth them per se, but over the next few minutes, I’ll walk you through my candid one-week tryout – complete with screenshots and email conversations. By the end, you’ll understand exactly why platforms like this, with their particular way of operating, might be more trouble than they’re worth. Don’t worry though, I’ve also got some great alternative suggestions to explore.
So, settle in, and let’s dive into my unfiltered Hire Writers Kenya experience together. Who knows, it could just save you a whole lot of time and frustration down the line.
Google Search: The Starting Point
Of course, the first step in my quest for online writing riches in Kenya was firing up Google and searching for “writing jobs in Kenya.” The top few results were sites like Nerdy Turtles, Pro Writers Time, and Falcon Writers. Sponsored ads for platforms like Toloka AI also popped up, but based on my prior experience, I wasn’t feeling too enthused about those.
As I scrolled down the results, my eyes were immediately drawn to the various sponsored website ads that kept appearing. You see, my logic was this: if a company is willing to throw money at Google ads for writing gigs, they must be getting enough client work to make it worthwhile, right? So out of all those tempting sponsored links, I decided to take the plunge with “hirewriterskenya.net”
One click later, and I was greeted by their sharp-looking landing page. Clean design, straight-to-the-point instructions on advancing from newbie writer to paid elite status – it all seemed pretty promising at first glance.
Their homepage clearly laid out the career progression path, which looked a little something like this:
Step 1: Join as a Beginner
- Register to gain access to a range of writing projects
- Get assigned 1-10 tasks based on your skill level
- Earn Ksh 200-1000 per task, with your first one guaranteed at Ksh 400
- Deliver quality work to level up to higher-paid tasks
- Any subpar submissions mean your next tasks will pay Ksh 200-400 (but hey, we all start somewhere, right?)
Step 2: Elite Level Writer
- Once you complete 10 tasks successfully, you’re an elite!
- As elite status, you get to negotiate rates directly with clients
- Time to showcase your skills and reap the benefits of being an in-demand writer
So far, so good? The path seemed clear: start small, prove yourself, climb the ranks. I was ready to see where this could lead.
Signing Up and Getting My First Assignment
With the landing page looking promising, I quickly scrolled down and clicked the “get your first assignment” button in the footer. This redirected me to a Google Docs form asking for basic details like name, email, phone number, and nationality. I filled it out accurately and hit submit.
A few minutes later, a welcoming email from [email protected] landed in my inbox. It contained instructions for my first paid writing task – a 500-word article for Ksh 400, roughly $2.50 at the time. Not a king’s ransom, but hey, everyone starts somewhere, right?
This was already feeling pretty straightforward. Just write 500 words and collect my $2.50. But first, I had to officially register for the assignment via another Google Docs form.
No problem, I told myself. 500 words is a walk in the park when you can crank out 4,000 on a good day.
Soon after, I received another email with specific instructions and a list of five topic options to choose from:
- Where to buy plot/land in Kenya
- How to market anything on social media
- Online Income Opportunities for Kenyan Freelancers
- How Weight Loss Can Transform Your Life
- The best destinations to visit in Kenya
I fired up Microsoft Word, did some quick research assisted by Grammarly, Perplexity AI, and MyBib.com, and had a polished 500-word draft ready within 20 minutes.
The next step was submitting my masterpiece via yet another Google Docs form. Take a look:
Assignment submitted! I got approval shortly after, and the next step was reviewing and signing their virtual contract.
So far, pretty standard stuff. But little did I know, this was just the start of my adventures down the “Hire Writers Kenya” rabbit hole…
The Cat and Mouse Game
Immediately after accepting the contract on Google Docs, I received a follow-up email titled “THANKS FOR ACCEPTING THE CONTRACT.” However, the contents were anything but straightforward gratitude.
According to the instructions, I now needed to pay an upfront “activation fee” of Ksh 400 to get my account ready for work and be eligible to receive payment for the assignment I had already completed and gotten approved for.
Wait, hold up. If I had just done work that was supposed to pay Ksh 400, why couldn’t they simply deduct this mysterious activation fee from those initial earnings? Why was there an extra Ksh 400 charge out of the blue?
Still, I had come this far for you, my dear readers. What’s another $2.50 or so in the name of experimentation and shining a light on the truth? I went ahead and made the payment to their provided PayBill number.
After sending proof of payment, their next move in this cat-and-mouse routine was assigning me a second writing task – this time paying a measly Ksh 200 (around $2).
At this point, I’ll admit I was tempted to cut my losses and run. But I persisted, completed the second task flawlessly, and awaited what I assumed would now be a total payout of Ksh 600 for my troubles.
The ever-elusive payout, however, was still nowhere in sight…
Thanks for providing the next part of your story. I think “The Payout Mirage” is an excellent subheading that captures the disappointment and letdown after being led on a chase. Here’s how I would revise this section:
The Payout Mirage
Up until this point, my emails had received prompt responses within 2 hours. However, after completing that second writing task, radio silence ensued for over 24 hours. Sure, they had mentioned potential 24–48-hour response times, but their previous efficiency had me expecting swifter updates.
By the 12-hour mark, my patience was already wearing thin. After a full day, I fired off an email:
"Hello,
I have not received feedback yet regarding my two assignments that I completed.
Regards."Still no immediate reply. Several more hours ticked by before they finally responded, instructing me to create an account on a different website: hirewriters.co.ke.
Confusion and skepticism crept in, but I went ahead and registered on the new platform. We went back-and-forth resolving minor configuration issues until eventually, I could log in and view my work history and payment details.
Note: At this stage, I fully expected my account balance to show the Ksh 600 I had earned.
The Big Blow
With bated breath, I navigated to the earnings section…only to be gutted by a measly Ksh.262 in total credits – an amount that couldn’t even be withdrawn to my M-Pesa because the minimum payout was set at a lofty Ksh.3,500.
My mind raced – where did the other Ksh 338 disappear to? And how many more tasks would I possibly have to grind through just to scrape together that ridiculous Ksh 3,500 minimum?
I’d had enough. No more emails, no more jumping through hoops. This cat-and-mouse chase for elusive online writing “riches” with hirewriters.co.ke and hirewriterskenya.net had run its course.
While these platforms may work for some, I simply cannot recommend them to any of you, my dear readers, based on this frustrating experience.
A Better Path Forward
After the disappointing run-around I experienced with “Hire Writers Kenya”, it was clear I needed to find more reputable and transparent online writing platforms to pursue. Their convoluted payment model and evasive business practices left a sour taste.
From my research and anecdotes from peers, the most reliable income avenues for Kenyan writers appear to be:
- Blogging – Yup, yours truly is on that path with this very blog you’re reading. It took some initial effort to get set up, but now I have my own little corner of the internet to share insights and perhaps generate income down the line through sponsorships or affiliate marketing. If you’re interested in starting your own blog, here are the steps I followed.
- Academic Writing – This is the ivory tower of online wordsmithing. Getting your foot in the door requires persistence, an academic background, and making the right connections. It’s not impossible, but certainly an uphill climb compared to other options. Slide into my DMs at [email protected] if you’d like me to share some potentially worthwhile academic writing leads.
- Chat Moderation Jobs – Now this is an…interesting one. These gigs essentially involve you lending emotional support and counseling through online chat platforms for some very personal issues. You’ll be selling your dignity one conversation at a time, for better or worse. Popular services include Cloud Factory, Cloud Workers, E-Moderators and the like. Definitely an ethical dilemma to ponder.
- Microtasking – The fry cooks job of the digital age. Sites like Remotasks, Outlier, and Sama Source let you grind away on bite-sized tasks and gigs for relatively low to high pay-per-task payouts. A decent side hustle to stack some extra shillings if you’ve got the tolerance and determination.
Conclusion
The path to earning decent online writing income in Kenya is filled with potential pitfalls. My experience with the shady practices of platforms like “Hire Writers Kenya” proved that some opportunities are simply not worth the hassle and disrespect to your talents.
However, more transparent avenues do exist if you’re diligent in seeking them out. Blogging, academic writing, chat moderating, microtasking – they all represent potential side-hustles or career paths, each with their own pros and cons to evaluate. The key is doing your research, never settling for being undervalued, and persevering until you find that special client or platform that genuinely respects writers.
It’s an ongoing journey, but one that can pay off for the savvy Kenyan wordsmith willing to put in the hard work. Stay wise, stay determined, and your words will ultimately be rewarded.
