How to write a CV in Kenya (with examples)
Updated 16 October 2026 · Soma kwa Kiswahili
Most CVs in Kenya are read in under a minute, often on a phone, by someone with 200 more to go. The goal is simple: make it easy for them to call you. This guide goes section by section, with weak and strong lines side by side, so you can see the difference.
1. Name and contact details
Your full name in large letters, then on one line: a 10-digit phone number, an email you check every day, and your town. That's all.
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Tel: 712 34 567 | 0712 345 678 |
| sexyqueen98@yahoo.com | mercy.wanjiru@gmail.com |
| P.O. Box 1234-00100, Hse No. 14, Kahawa West, off Thika Road | Nairobi (Kahawa West) |
A missing digit is the most common reason a good CV never gets a call. Read your number out loud before you send.
2. A headline and a short profile
Under your name, write the job you want: Cashier, Accounts Assistant, Driver (BCE). Then two or three lines: what you do, how long you've done it, one real result, and the job you want.
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| I am a hardworking, God-fearing and self-motivated team player seeking a challenging position in a reputable organisation. | Cashier with 3 years at a busy Thika supermarket. Balanced the till with no shortages on 98% of shifts and trained 3 new cashiers. Looking for a cashier or customer care role in Thika or Ruiru. |
"Hardworking team player" appears on almost every CV, so recruiters skip it. Religion has no place on a CV at all.
3. Work experience: the part that gets you hired
Newest first. For each one: job title, employer, town, and the month and year you started and finished. Then 2 to 4 points. Each point starts with an action word and, where you can, says how much, how many or what changed.
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Responsible for customers. | Served about 80 customers a day at the main till. |
| Duties included handling cash. | Handled cash and M-Pesa payments of around KES 150,000 a day with no shortages. |
| Was involved in training of new staff. | Trained 3 new cashiers on the till system and end-of-day cash-up. |
| Driving. | Delivered goods to 15 to 20 shops a day across Eldoret and Iten, with no accidents in 3 years. |
| Data entry and filing. | Entered 200+ patient records a week into the clinic system and cleared a 3-month filing backlog. |
Not sure of a number? Make a fair estimate you could explain in an interview ("about 80 a day"), never one you can't. Attachments, internships, casual work, volunteering and your own business all count as experience. Write them the same way.
Dates: use month and year, e.g. Mar 2022 – Aug 2024. Year-only dates make recruiters suspect a gap. If you have a gap of more than 6 months, add one honest line: a course, family duties, running a small business or job hunting.
4. Education
Highest first. Course, institution, year finished and grade. Include your KCSE mean grade, because many entry-level ads set a minimum (e.g. C- and above). Once you have KCSE, leave out KCPE and primary school.
5. Skills
5 to 8 skills that match the jobs you want, written the way ads write them: cash handling, M-Pesa and card payments, customer care, stock taking, MS Excel, driving licence BCE. Skip the rating bars and percentages ("Excel 80%"). They don't tell a recruiter anything, and hiring software can't read them.
6. Referees
Three, each with job title, organisation and a phone number they answer. Ask them first. Students: a lecturer or your attachment supervisor counts. See how to list referees.
What to leave out
- Your ID number, passport number and date of birth. Employers ask for these after they hire you. On a CV they only put you at risk.
- Marital status, religion, tribe and home village or county.
- Your full home address. The town is enough.
- A photo, unless the ad asks for one.
- "Referees available on request".
Length and format
One to two pages, one column, plain headings. Send it as a PDF unless the ad asks for Word, and name the file with your name, like mercy-wanjiru-CV.pdf. Before you send it, read it out loud once. Many recruiters stop at the first spelling mistake.
Samples
See a full cashier CV sample, a driver CV sample, or the student CV for attachment.
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