How to Start a Profitable Blog in Kenya [Full 2024 Guide]

If you are looking to start a blog in Kenya and earn money, you’re probably wondering if it’s worth your time. It is not an easy journey and there is stiff competition.

In fact, did you know that over 6 million blog posts are published online every day? ¹ It’s a staggering number, isn’t it?

But here is some good news;

Social Media Today reports that more than 73% of internet users read blog posts on a daily basis. ² In fact, 70% of consumers learn about companies through blog articles instead of ads.

What does this tell you about the blogging business in Kenya? It tells you that there is a huge potential for aspiring bloggers like yourself.

So, if you’ve been contemplating starting a blog in Kenya, I created this guide just for you. Whether you’re a passionate storyteller or an entrepreneur looking to expand your online presence, this article will guide you through the ins and outs of launching your own blog in Kenya.

No fluff, no jargon – just straightforward advice and practical tips that the best bloggers in Kenya use to create and run profitable blogs.

Alright, let’s get started.

The Basics of Blogging in Kenya

Before we dive into how to start a blog in Kenya, we need to understand exactly what a blog is and why you need one. In this section, we will look at:

• What a blog is
• Why you need one
• Blog profitability

What is a Blog in Kenya?

A blog is a website that contains regularly published articles, commonly known as blog posts. WikiEducation has a very straightforward definition: ³

A blog is a website which enables individuals, groups or organisations to easily publish content on the Internet. It is a website that’s like an online diary.

WikiEducation.org

The word ‘Blog’ is an acronym for the term weblog.

A ‘Weblog’ is an online journal in which the author, generally a publisher in the traditional sense, frequently publishes articles or blog posts in combination with photographs or video media.

Blogs often consist of entries arranged in reverse chronological order so that the most recent posts appear first when you visit the home page.

The blog will also have a comments section for each post where readers can air their opinions, suggestions, or compliments concerning the blog post.

You can start a blog in Kenya on any topic or niche you like. Later in this guide, we will reveal the most popular blogging niches in Kenya you can choose from.

Otherwise, if you are looking to start a blog and earn money in Kenya, you are probably asking yourself; is it worth it?

Let’s find out…

Is Blogging Profitable in Kenya?

Yes, blogging is very profitable in Kenya. In fact, you can start a blog in Kenya and earn up to Ksh 100,000 or more per month depending on the niche you choose, how well-known your site becomes, and how much time or effort you are willing to invest into it.

When talking about how to make money blogging in Kenya with my readers and friends, I get a lot of questions like:

• How much do Kenyan bloggers earn?
• How do beginner bloggers make money?
• Can bloggers be millionaires?
• How much can you make with a blog in Kenya?
• How do bloggers make money in Kenya?

Well, if you want to know more about blogging profitability, read the guide below where we answer these and more questions about how to make money with a blog in Kenya.

Okay, now that you know a blog in Kenya can be profitable, should you start one?

Why Should You Start a Blog in Kenya?

There are many reasons why you should start a blog in Kenya, but the most compelling reason is that blogging is free.

This means that you can easily create a free WordPress blog in Kenya.

However, if you want to create a blog as sophisticated as Wikipedia or as popular as some of the world’s leading news blogging sites, then you might want to consider investing in the necessary hardware and software.

Lucky for you, the cost of starting a blog in Kenya is not too high, meaning there is a low barrier to entry.

Ideally, if you are looking to start a blog in Kenya that is profitable, then one of the things you will need to invest in is your hosting plan (we recommend Bluehost) which is very crucial for any professional blog.

In general, blogging in Kenya comes with several benefits such as:

• The possibility of making good money every month from your blog (if your blog is popular and earns high or more than 100,000 monthly page views).
• The opportunity for you to create your own job by blogging.
• You can network with different people who are doing what you want to do. This will expand your professional connection.
• Blogging is fun; it’s an exciting experience that will open several doors for new opportunities.
• You position yourself as an expert and authority in your niche

Now, let’s get to the most exciting part of this guide; the exact steps to follow when starting a successful blog in Kenya.

How to Start a Profitable Blog in Kenya in 9 Steps

• Step #1:Choose a niche for your blog
• Step #2: Choose a blogging platform
• Step #3: Pick a domain name
• Step #4: Get a web hosting account
• Step #5: Install WordPress
• Step #6: Select a theme and design your blog
• Step #7: Write and publish blog content
• Step #8: Optimize your blog content for SEO
• Step #9: Start Making money off your blog.

Step 1: Choose a Niche For Your Blog

In this section, we’ll discuss some popular blogging topics and how to choose one that suits your personality.

Here are a few questions that will help you decide:

• What kind of information do I enjoy providing?
• What do I know a lot about?
• What does the world need most right now? (you’ll learn more about this in step 5)

The best way to start making money through blogging is by choosing a topic you’re passionate about. You’ll be able to provide important information, share your unique personality, and get lots of traffic from people searching for your topic.

If you’re still trying to decide what to write about, here are a few good options:

• Local news – report on crime, celebrity gossip, politics, and other current events happening in Kenya
• Reviews – review restaurants, travel, popular products (such as smartphones) or other services
• How-to Guides- help readers with steps they can follow to complete a task (even if it’s small)
• Your expertise– teach readers a skill they would have otherwise had to pay someone else for (for example, woodworking, web design, cooking etc.)

Please note that some niches are better than others. For example, tutorials on how to cook certain food might be more popular than writing about wooden furniture.

Experiment with various topics and learn what your prospective readers are looking for.

Your niche doesn’t have to be hyper-specific. For example, you can focus on a geographic location (such as Kenyan celebrities) or an industry (such as smartphone reviews). Take your time to choose the best niche that you feel passionate about.

The more specific your blog is, the better! The point of having a blog is to become an expert on the topic you write about and provide useful information.

Choosing a niche will help people see you as an expert in that field.

Once you’ve made up your mind what topic to go with, it’s time to move on to step 2: Choosing A Blogging Platform

Step 2: Choose A Blogging Platform 

It’s time to choose a blogging platform. There are several popular platforms you can use, including WordPress and Blogger. For the purposes of illustration in this guide, we will be using WordPress since it’s the most popular CMS (Content Management System). 

1. WordPress

WordPress is the most popular blogging platform on the internet. In fact, according to Hubspot, WordPress powers 43% of blogs on the internet. ⁴

Bloggers love WordPress because it is easy to use and comes with a ton of free and paid plugins that can help you customize your website. These include SEO plugins, contact forms, eCommerce shopping carts, and much more.

For this reason, we recommend using WordPress to start a blog in Kenya. In step 6, I’ll show you how to easily install WordPress after buying a domain name and hosting.

2. Blogger

This is a great free blogging platform that’s run by Google. It doesn’t have as many features as WordPress, but it does get the job done without costing you a dime.

The downside to using Blogger is that they don’t have tools or plugins you can use to make your blog more efficient.

If you are looking to start a blog and earn money in Kenya, the best option is to use Blogger’s free hosting platform. Remember that in order to create a blog with Blogger, you will first need to have a Google email address.

So, if you don’t already have one, you can go ahead and create it before continuing.

Otherwise, to create a blog:

1. Go to blogger.com and click “CREATE YOUR BLOG”
2. Enter your email address and click on “Next”
3. Enter your email address password and click on “Next”
4. On the next page, click on “Start a Blog”. This is on the upper left corner of the page.
5. On the pop-up window, enter the name of your blog (more on choosing a catchy name in step 3)
6. On the next page, enter the name again but in lowercase letters. This will be the domain address for your blog e.g blogname.blogspot.com. You can also use a different address from the blog name, but this might confuse your readers.

That’s it! You are now a proud owner of a free blog. You can design your new blog any way you want by following the instructions on the website.

Let’s show you how to buy a domain name and hosting in the next step.

Step 3: Choose A Domain Name

A domain name is what people will type into their browser’s address bar (such as http://www.yourblogname.com) when they want to visit your website.

Usually, a domain name should be the same as your blog name to avoid confusing your readers. For instance, the name of this blog is Omoka Digital while the domain name is omokadigital.com.

You will also need to choose a popular domain extension ( the last part of your domain name such as .com or .org). .com is the most popular so you can go with that if it’s available.

However, if your blog only targets Kenyans, you can also use .co.ke.

You can buy domain names from various domain registrars such as:

• GoDaddy
• NameSilo
• BlueHost
• Host Gator
• Kenyawebexperts

Keep in mind that the provider you use will affect the overall cost of starting a blog in Kenya, so ensure to choose carefully.

Domain names cost anywhere between Ksh 900 – Ksh 3,000 a year depending on the registrar you use.

I mostly use KenyaWebExperts which charges from Ksh 1,000 annually depending on the extension you are using.

BlueHost is also a great option if you are looking for better usability and quick WordPress installation.

Here is a secret;

If you buy hosting (more on hosting later) on BlueHost, you get a FREE Domain name!

So, in this guide, we will be showing you how to buy a domain name and hosting using BlueHost and KenyaWebExperts (if you want to pay via M-PESA).

In a nutshell, a good domain name should be;

• Catchy
• Easy to remember
• Not too generic (e.g. “Blogging101”)
• Useful and relevant to your blog’s niche
• Not too long (e.g. mymoneymakingtipsinkenya.com)

How to Register for a Domain Name on Bluehost

In my experience, BlueHost is the best international domain hosting provider. It hosts more than 2 million websites worldwide with more than 500,000 registered domains. ⁵

Here are some of Bluehost’s benefits compared to other companies.

• Easy to use.
• Very fast
• Has great security features
• Fairly cheap (only $3.5 per month)
• Has great customer support
• Comes with many free blogging tools
• Super easy to install WordPress (See step 5)

Follow these steps to register your domain name on BlueHost:

1. Visit BlueHost.
2. Click on ‘Domains’ on the primary navigation bar

3. Enter the name you picked above into the domain search box and choose an extension (we recommend a .com). Then click on “Search”.

4. If the domain name is available, you will be taken to another page where you can pay for it. If not, you can keep tweaking the name using the tips I mentioned above until you find one that is available. Otherwise, you can click on “Proceed” to pay for your new domain.

5. Next, you can either choose to go with a 30-day free trial or pay for the package without the free trial. If you are ready to get started, there is no need for a free trial. Click on Proceed without a 30-day trial hosting.

6. Next, click on Purchase Now to buy the domain. You can remove the Privacy + Protection option by clicking the X if you just want the domain alone. 

7. The next steps are pretty straightforward. Just follow the prompts on how to pay for your new domain and you will be ready to go to the next step.

If you’re having trouble coming up with a catchy domain name, try using a nickname that your friends and family know you by or a combination of words that represent your niche.

For instance, for our blog, we used Omoka Digital. Omoka is slang for ‘to get rich’ which is perfect for this site since we show people how to make money.

Step 4: Getting a Web Hosting Account

To be able to start a blog in Kenya, you need a web hosting account. This is where you ‘host’ your blog’s content.

Once you’ve purchased your domain name, you’ll need to get web hosting for it.

To put this into perspective, assume your blog is a warehouse where you keep some stuff. Typically, this warehouse will have a route or road that leads to it.

In this case, the hosting account is like the space inside the warehouse where you keep your stuff while the domain name is the road that people use to go to your warehouse.

Or as Bluehost puts it, a hosting account is “A home to your website”.

This means that a domain name alone would be useless if you don’t have a hosting plan. It is like having a road that leads nowhere.

However, if you are using Blogger instead of WordPress (which we don’t recommend if you need great blogging tools), it is possible to create a blog with just a domain name.

There are many web hosting companies you can choose from, with some of the most popular being Godaddy, HostGator, and Bluehost. Prices vary depending on the hosting provider and how much bandwidth (and storage) your website will need, so be sure to do your research before signing up.

While it is possible to buy a domain from one provider and hosting from another, I would recommend buying both from the same company to make the whole process more fluid.

So, if you bought your domain name from Bluehost, I recommend also buying Hosting from Bluehost.

Bluehost usually has three hosting packages you can choose from:

• Shared hosting ($3.95/mo*)
• Dedicated hosting ($19.99/mo*)
• VPS hosting ($79.99/mo*)

If you buy any of these hosting accounts, you will get a FREE domain name and save more than KES 1,000 that you would have used to buy a domain name.

As you can see, the last two are pretty expensive so I would recommend choosing the shared hosting for now.

I say ‘for now’ but if you plan on running just a content blog (nothing heavy duty) you probably will never need the dedicated or VPS hosting.

If you already bought a domain name, adding a hosting package is pretty straightforward so am not going to go into the details.

Just log into your account, choose the domain you bought, and add a hosting account.

After buying a hosting account, some details will be sent to your email address which will help you set up your blog. These include FTP or cPanel details which you need to get your blog live.

The most important part of setting up the blog is installing WordPress.

Before that, make sure that you found the right domain since you won’t be able to Install WordPress without hosting and a domain name.

The best part is, that you can get a free domain if you buy hosting from BlueHost. So, grab your sexy domain before someone else does!

Step 5: Install WordPress

Now that you have a domain name, web hosting, and FTP client (an app used for uploading files to your host’s server), it’s time to install WordPress on your new hosting account.

One reason I love using BlueHost is that it makes it very easy to install WordPress.

In fact, did you know that WordPress itself recommends BlueHost over a plethora of other hosting providers?

There is a good reason for that: It’s super easy to use!

How to Install WordPress on Bluehost

The era of installing WordPress manually on your site is long gone.

Now, Bluehost offers a one-click installation solution that is very easy and user-friendly.

Here is how to do it in minutes:

1. On your BlueHost account, click on My Sites then click on Create Site
2. Enter the name of your new blog and add a catchy tagline. A tagline is simply a phrase that describes your business. E.g. “Your Go-to Site for Financial Information”
3. On the next section click on the Domain area and select the domain name you created earlier from the dropdown menu. You also have the option to include several important plugins with your installation. Feel free to uncheck the plugins you don’t need. When you are done, click on Next.

That is it! You have successfully installed WordPress using BlueHost. In the next part, you will be required to enter a password then log into your WordPress Dashboard.

It is okay to follow this guide to the end before taking any action. But if you are serious and want to start an amazing blog right away, I suggest you buy hosting ( and get a FREE domain name) before moving forward.

From here, you can create posts, pages and even design your site to be more professional. The first step to designing a WordPress site is choosing a great theme.

What is a theme and why do you need one? Let’s find out below.

Step 6: Choose a Great WordPress Theme

Now that you’ve got your blog up and running, it’s time to customize its overall look. To do this, you’ll need a suitable theme.

A theme is simply a template that informs how your blog will look.

Here is an example of a theme for a news blog:

There are different themes for different types of blogs. This means that if you are using a blogging platform like WordPress, you don’t need to design everything from scratch.

All you have to do is pick an amazing theme, tweak a few things and you are good to go.

There are two main categories of themes:

• Free themes: You won’t pay a dime for them but they usually have limited design options and may not look as good as you need.
• Premium themes: You have to pay a one-off fee. They are better looking wiTh more design features.

For the purpose of this article, we will focus on premium WordPress themes because they tend to be more professional. However, if you are on a budget, there is no need to stretch your financial limits.

You can simply use a free theme until you are comfortable enough to afford a premium one.

Here is how to quickly install a free WordPress theme:

1. Log into your WordPress admin dashboard and click on Appearance on the left sidebar then choose Themes from the popup menu.

2. Click on Add New

3. Next, you can either use the Feature Filter to filter the themes based on their features or if you already have a good theme in mind (from prior searching), you can just search for it on the search bar. You can search for themes using keywords like News, Fashion, Tech, etc depending on what your blog is about. 

4. Alternatively, you can simply pick any of the featured themes if they fit your design needs.

5. Hover over the theme you like then click on Details & Preview. This will allow you to see how the theme would look in a live blog. If you are satisfied with the design, click on Install. Otherwise, you can go back and pick another theme.

6. After installing, you will see a success message from WordPress. To make the theme live on your blog, you will need to activate it. Just click on the Activate button.

That’s it! Your blog now has a better look. To make it even better and professional-looking, you will need to customize the theme to your liking.

I won’t go into the details of customizing your theme. The process is usually straightforward ( and time-consuming). However, if you prefer to follow along, you can check out this great guide on how to customize a WordPress theme.

You will follow pretty much the same process when installing a premium theme. The online difference is that you will have to download the theme files first then upload them to WordPress and activate them.

This means that you can’t just search for a premium theme on WordPress. You will first have to buy it from theme marketplaces like ThemeForest, download the files and then upload them to WordPress.

So, instead of searching, you will click on the Upload Theme button after clicking on Add New (from the steps above).

If the upload is successful, you can activate the theme and then start customizing it.

Don’t waste too much time on customizing, though. You can always tweak the design later. The most important thing to do at this stage is to start creating content!

Let’s talk about how to create brilliant content in the next step.

Step 7: Start Posting!

Now you are ready to start creating amazing content for your blog. The most important step in learning how to start blogging in Kenya is understanding out to create brilliant content.

This is obviously an exciting part but it is also the most challenging. It is very hard to consistently post on your blog especially if it hasn’t started making any money.

You can come up with a content strategy and schedule later. For now, you should worry about creating your first post.

How to Create a Post on WordPress

1. On the left sidebar of the WordPress admin area, click on Posts then choose Add New.

2. A new page will open where you can create your new post.
3. Just add a Title then start writing the post
4. On the right sidebar, you’ll see several settings you can use to adjust your post.
5. From here, you choose or create a category for your post, add tags, add a featured image, set the link structure, and write an excerpt.

The process is really simple once you have the outline of your post down.

Here are a few tips on how to create an outstanding post;

• Create a detailed outline first
• Start with a catchy introduction
• Use simple language. Don’t complicate with unnecessary vocabulary. The point is to get the message to the reader, not show your linguistic prowess.
• Use short sentences
• Use a lot of bullet points
• Make paragraphs thin. Each paragraph shouldn’t have more than three sentences
• Use facts and statistics
• Talk directly to the reader by using words like ‘you’
• Avoid passive voice. Read more about passive voice and how to avoid it.

Step 8: Work on SEO (Search Engine 0ptimization)

You’ve started a blog! Congratulations. You’re now officially a blogger. But there’s still work to do before you go online and start making money.

The first thing you need to take care of is search engine optimization. Here’s what it does and how to do it:

SEO basically helps your blog show up higher in search results (if someone searches for a keyword e.g. ‘ how to start a blog ‘, your article will show up higher than others that are ranked lower).

This is useful because it will help you get more traffic and increase your chances of making good money off your blog.

The more you ‘ SEO’ your site, the better it’ll perform in searches (and bring in more visitors).

These are some SEO tips to help make your posts rank faster:

• Install the WordPress SEO by Yoast plugin (or a similar one). This helps optimize your blog’s content for search engines.
• Publish new posts on your blog regularly. Regular updates will help people find you via search engines.
• Set up tools like Google Analytics and MonsterInsights
• Do some keyword research
• Use long-tail keywords (such as ” how to start a blog in Kenya” instead of “starting a blog” )
• Make sure you use the keyword in the first 100 words
• Include keywords in the article URL/link
• Use short URLs
• Link out to high-authority sites (e.g Forbes, Wikipedia, NY Times etc)
• Use a lot of internal links ( linking to other articles on your site. This will come after creating several articles)

SEO is a broad topic and I can’t really talk about everything here. If you want to learn more, you can check out this great SEO guide on Backlinko.

Having said that, let’s move on to the exciting part of this guide; making money!

Step 9: Start Making Money off Your Blog

I promised I’d show you not just how to create a blog in Kenya, but how to create a profitable blog. So, let’s learn how bloggers make money in Kenya.

Now, this is the fun part because I know you are excited to start making money from your new blog. After all, the main reason for learning how to start blogging in Kenya is to make some passive income.

However, you might want to hold your horses for a moment. Actually, for several months.

Creating a blog is the easy part. Making money from it? Now, that is the hard part.

But if you follow closely the strategies I will be sharing here, the money might come much faster.

There are several ways you can monetize your new blog. Here are the most common ones:

• Advertising with Google Adsense: You can make money by placing advertisements on your blog. This is a popular way to monetize websites and it’s what most bloggers use. The downside is that you get paid very little per view/click and you might have to wait for some time before you can start making anything significant.
• Affiliate marketing; This is another popular way people make money on the Internet. You promote products for other companies/vendors and get a commission if someone buys what you recommended (note: this method can be very profitable, but it’s also very competitive)
• Selling your own products/services: If there’s something within your niche that people need/want, you can create the product, sell it, and make a profit. For example, if you’re writing about how to start a blog in Kenya, people would likely need information on how to find a reliable and more extensive course on the same. If you do that (and keep working on SEO), your site should rank high in search results, getting tons of traffic from people looking for blogging courses.
• E-book creation: Similar to the previous method, but where you instead write an e-book (longer than an article) about how to create a blog in Kenya and sell it for however much you want.

The Bottom Line: What You Should Do Now

If you follow these steps carefully, you should now know how to create a blog in Kenya. If not, feel free to reach out via email or comment if you need help

Start creating content! Don’t wait until tomorrow or the next week.

It’s important to publish new content regularly. A blog that’s been inactive for about a month will be ignored by search engines and readers alike.

You can also promote your site via social media like Facebook and Twitter using tools like Tweetdeck/Hootsuite.

It’ll take time before you start making money off your blog, but give it some time, you’ll get there.

Wish you the best of luck!

1. Zippia, HOW MANY BLOG POSTS ARE PUBLISHED PER DAY? [2023]
2. Social Media Today, The Benefits of Blogging: 20+ Stats Business Owners Need to Know [Infographic]
3. WikiEducation, What is a blog?
4. Hubspot, 20 WordPress Statistics You Should Know in 2022
5. My Codeless Website, Bluehost Statistics 2023 – 34 Mind Blowing Facts and Figures