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2 Oct 2026
By RecruitFinds
Receiving a job offer is an exciting moment, especially after going through applications, interviews, assessments and background checks. But the offer letter is not the point where you should simply reply, "Thank you, I accept," without reading the details.
Your response can confirm your acceptance, open a professional discussion about certain terms, or politely decline the opportunity.
The important thing is to respond professionally and within the employer's stated deadline.
In Kenya, employment contracts have legal requirements concerning matters such as the job description, commencement date, duration, working hours, place of work, remuneration and other benefits. For contracts of service lasting three months or more, the Employment Act requires the contract to be in writing.
That makes the offer stage an important opportunity to understand exactly what you are agreeing to.
An offer letter can contain much more than the salary.
Before responding, look through the document carefully.
Pay attention to:
Job title
Basic salary
Allowances
Benefits
Reporting date
Working hours
Work location
Probation period
Contract duration
Leave entitlement
Notice requirements
Performance expectations
Any conditions attached to the offer
Documents you must submit
Deadline for accepting the offer
Also check whether the document is an offer letter or the actual employment contract.
Some employers send an offer first and provide a detailed contract later. Others incorporate most of the employment terms directly into the offer.
Do not assume that the two documents are interchangeable.
A Kenyan court has previously considered a situation where an employee accepted an offer by email before the formal contract was prepared and discussed the contractual significance of that acceptance.
That is one reason to read the offer carefully before sending an unconditional acceptance.
Look for language such as:
"Please confirm your acceptance by..."
or:
"Your signed acceptance should be received by..."
If there is a deadline, treat it seriously.
A recent Court of Appeal decision involved an offer letter that expressly required signed acceptance within 30 days and stated that the offer would lapse if no response was received within that period.
Your employer's deadline may be much shorter.
If you need more time, ask before the deadline rather than simply ignoring the email.
For example:
"Thank you for the offer. I am currently reviewing the terms and would appreciate an extension of the acceptance deadline until [date]."
A short extension request is much more professional than disappearing while deciding.
If you have reviewed the offer and are comfortable with the terms, keep your response simple.
You do not need to write a long explanation about how excited you are.
Confirm:
Your appreciation
The position
Your acceptance
The agreed start date
Any required next step
If the employer provided an acceptance form, sign it according to the instructions.
If they requested acceptance by email, reply directly to the appropriate person.
Keep a copy of the signed document and your email.
This gives you a clear record of what you accepted.
Think carefully before sending an unconditional acceptance.
In a Kenyan Employment and Labour Relations Court case, the court discussed the principle that acceptance of an employment offer can create a binding contractual relationship.
That does not mean every offer email in every situation automatically produces identical legal consequences. The wording of the offer, conditions attached to it and surrounding circumstances matter.
The practical lesson is straightforward:
Do not accept first and negotiate the important terms afterwards unless you have a clear reason and understand the consequences.
If something important needs changing, raise it before accepting.
A counter-offer does not have to sound confrontational.
You are not telling the employer that their offer is unacceptable.
You are opening a discussion.
Suppose you receive an offer of KSh 70,000 and were hoping for KSh 85,000.
Instead of writing:
"The salary is too low. Increase it."
try:
"Thank you for the offer. I am very interested in the position and appreciate the opportunity. I would like to discuss whether there is flexibility on the proposed salary, considering my experience and the responsibilities of the role."
That creates room for a conversation.
If you have five complaints about the offer, sending the employer a long list may make the conversation unnecessarily complicated.
Identify your most important issue.
It could be:
Salary
Start date
Working arrangement
Transport allowance
Medical cover
Commission structure
Leave
Relocation support
Working hours
Then ask whether there is flexibility.
For example:
"Would there be flexibility to review the proposed salary to KSh 90,000?"
A specific request is easier for an employer to evaluate than:
"Can you improve the package?"
Sometimes the employer may tell you that the salary is non-negotiable.
That does not necessarily end the conversation.
You could ask whether there is flexibility elsewhere.
For example:
"I understand that the salary structure is fixed. Would there be flexibility around the transport allowance or the working arrangement?"
Or:
"If the starting salary cannot be changed, would the company consider a salary review after the probation period based on performance?"
Do not assume the employer will agree.
The purpose of negotiation is to establish what is possible.
You do not have to accept immediately just because you are excited about the opportunity.
If the employer has given you several days, use that time.
Compare the offer against your actual circumstances.
Consider:
Money: What will your take-home pay look like?
Location: How much will commuting cost?
Time: What are the working hours and expected availability?
Growth: Does the role provide useful experience?
Stability: Is the position permanent, fixed-term or subject to particular conditions?
Benefits: What does the employer provide beyond salary?
Responsibilities: Does the actual role match what you discussed during interviews?
Career direction: Does the position move you toward the type of work you want to build experience in?
A KSh 100,000 salary is not automatically better for your personal budget than a KSh 90,000 salary if the first job involves substantially higher commuting, relocation or other recurring costs.
Look at the complete package.
Sometimes the problem is not that you dislike the offer.
You simply do not understand one of its terms.
Ask.
For example:
"Could you please clarify whether the stated salary is the gross monthly salary or the basic salary?"
Or:
"Could you please clarify whether the position is fully remote or whether employees are expected to report to the office on specific days?"
Or:
"Could you please clarify how the commission component is calculated?"
Written clarification is preferable to relying on assumptions.
If an important term changes, ask for the final agreed position to be reflected in the appropriate written documentation.
Kenyan employment law requires specified particulars to be provided in writing for qualifying contracts, including remuneration and other employment terms.
Not every offer should be accepted.
Perhaps you received another opportunity.
Perhaps the salary does not work for you.
Maybe the location is unsuitable.
Maybe the role is different from what you expected.
Whatever the reason, you do not need to write a long explanation.
A professional rejection can be short.
Thank the employer, clearly decline, and leave the relationship on good terms.
There is no benefit in insulting the organisation or criticising the salary.
Today's rejection does not necessarily have to become a permanent relationship problem.
The recruitment team may encounter you again in another application.
Avoid messages such as:
"The salary is too low."
"I found a better company."
"Your company doesn't pay well."
"This job isn't worth it."
Even if you feel strongly about the offer, there is a more professional way to communicate your decision.
You can simply say:
"After careful consideration, I have decided not to proceed with the opportunity at this time."
You have communicated the decision without creating unnecessary conflict.
Dear [Hiring Manager/HR Manager],
Thank you for offering me the position of [Job Title] at [Company Name].
I am pleased to formally accept the offer and confirm my availability to commence employment on [Start Date], as stated in the offer letter.
I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to joining the team and contributing to the organisation.
Please let me know if there are any additional documents or steps required before my reporting date.
Kind regards,
[Full Name]
[Phone Number]
