Powerful HR Features for Kenyan Businesses

SmartHR automatically calculates all Kenyan statutory deductions: PAYE using the latest KRA progressive tax bands (10% to 35%), NSSF Tier I and Tier II contributions, SHIF at 2.75% of gross salary, and the Affordable Housing Levy at 1.5%. Personal relief of KES 2,400/month and insurance relief are also applied. Rates are updated whenever the Finance Bill introduces changes, so your payroll is always compliant.

Employees clock in and out using the SmartHR mobile app, which captures their GPS coordinates, timestamp, and an optional selfie for identity verification. Administrators can set geo-fence zones around approved work sites so that clock-ins are only accepted within those boundaries. The system works offline too — punches are queued on the device and synced automatically when connectivity is restored. For staff without smartphones, USSD-based clock-in is also supported.

Yes. Employees can submit leave requests directly from the SmartHR mobile app or web portal. They select the leave type (annual, sick, maternity, paternity, compassionate, etc.), choose dates, and add notes or attachments. The request is routed through your configured approval workflow — typically to a direct supervisor and then HR. Both parties receive push and SMS notifications, and the employee can track the status in real time.

Yes. SmartHR integrates with Safaricom M-Pesa via B2C (Business to Customer) API to disburse salaries directly to employee phone numbers. After payroll is processed and approved, you can initiate bulk M-Pesa payments from the dashboard. Each transaction is logged with an M-Pesa confirmation code for your records. SmartHR also supports bank transfers for employees who prefer traditional bank deposits.

Field workforce tracking lets you monitor employees who work outside a fixed office — security guards on patrol, delivery drivers, sales reps visiting clients, or cleaning teams deployed to client sites. SmartHR shows real-time locations on a map dashboard, records route history, and allows geo-tagged photo uploads as proof of visit. It is ideal for security companies, logistics firms, field sales teams, and cleaning companies operating across Kenya.

Yes. After each payroll run, SmartHR automatically generates PDF payslips for every employee showing gross salary, all deductions (PAYE, NSSF, SHIF, Housing Levy), allowances, and net pay. Payslips can be delivered via email, WhatsApp, or downloaded from the employee self-service portal. At year-end, SmartHR generates P9 tax certificates for each employee, which they need for filing individual KRA tax returns.

Yes. SmartHR offers a mobile app for Android and iOS. Employees can clock in/out with GPS, apply for leave, view payslips, submit expense claims, and read company announcements. Supervisors and managers can approve or reject leave and expense requests, view their team on a live map, look up employee details, and monitor attendance — all from their phone. Push notifications keep everyone informed in real time.