The greatest legal hurdle to ratifying ILO Conventions 189 and 190 in Kenya is the “Privacy Paradox”. This describes the constitutional friction between Article 31, which guarantees the right to privacy in one’s home, and Article 41, which guarantees the right to fair labor practices. Historically, labor inspectors have avoided the domestic sector because traditional industrial “raid” models of inspection would be unconstitutional infringements of privacy. To resolve this, we must enact specific Domestic Labor Inspection Guidelines that establish a structured “welfare check” model.
This reform must also address the “light work” loophole in Section 56(2) of the Employment Act, which allows children aged 13 to 16 to perform vaguely defined tasks. This is frequently exploited by relatives who employ children full-time as “house helps,” masking labor exploitation as “fostering” or cultural guidance. New regulations must explicitly exclude full-time domestic management from the definition of light work to protect the child’s right to compulsory basic education. Furthermore, the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) must be adapted to recognize the home as a “micro-workplace”.
A mandatory Code of Practice for domestic health and safety is required to address hazards like toxic cleaning chemicals, falls, and heavy lifting that are unique to the home. We must also legislate “domestic violence leave” to support victims whose personal safety impacts their professional stability. Finally, to protect workers from abusive termination, we need strict legal protocols for live-in staff to prevent them from facing immediate destitution and homelessness.
To move these reforms from paper to the pavement, we must dismantle the systemic barriers to Access to Justice. Currently, the procedural complexity and high costs of the Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) make it a “luxury” that most low-wage earners cannot afford. Establishing a dedicated Small Claims Court track for domestic disputes is the only way to ensure that a claim for unpaid wages does not cost more than the recovery itself.
Beyond litigation, true reform lies in granting domestic workers “economic citizenship”. By creating a simplified “Household Employer” digital portal, we can overcome the administrative hurdles that keep millions of workers excluded from NSSF and SHIF. Consistent contributions do more than provide a safety net; they unlock eligibility for the Tenant Purchase Scheme (TPS), turning a survival-based job into a foundation for affordable housing and professional achievement. By balancing the sanctity of the private home with the state’s obligation to enforce labor standards, we move 2 million Kenyans from the shadows of the informal economy into a protected, recognized, and multi-billion shilling industry.
