Kenyan families usually find house helps in three ways: a bureau or agency, word of mouth, or an online platform. Each has trade-offs.
| Bureau or agency | Word of mouth | Aunty Nyumbani | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to family | Placement fee | Free | Free to browse, KES 199 per contact unlocked |
| Choice | The candidates the bureau has that week | One or two people | Many profiles across Kenya, filterable by area |
| Info before meeting | Varies | What your friend says | Experience, skills, expected pay, references and reviews |
| Vetting | Some bureaus train and screen | Your friend's experience | You vet directly (we show you how) |
| Replacements | Some offer them | No | Browse again any time |
| Cost to the worker | Some charge workers too | Free | Free for the first 50 aunties, then KES 99 a month to list |
When a bureau makes sense
If you want someone else to screen and train candidates and you value a replacement guarantee, a reputable bureau can be worth the fee. Ask what the fee covers, whether checks are documented, and never pay a worker's "registration" on their behalf without a receipt.
When hiring directly makes sense
If you want more choice, to see expected pay up front, and to deal with the auntie directly with no middleman taking a cut, hiring directly works well, provided you do the checks yourself: an interview, references and a Certificate of Good Conduct, and a written contract.
Quick answers
Is Aunty Nyumbani a bureau?
No. Aunty Nyumbani is an online platform. Families browse aunties for free and pay KES 199 to unlock a phone number, then interview and hire directly. There is no placement fee and we don't take a cut of salary.