Asking for more money is uncomfortable, and it is easier when you have done the homework. Two pieces of preparation matter: building a fair case for the increase, and knowing how much of it will actually reach your pocket. Many people negotiate a figure and then feel let down when the payslip arrives, because they never checked what the deductions would do to it.

Know your value before you ask

Start with facts, not feelings. List what you have done in the past year: targets met, tasks added to your role, costs saved, problems solved and any extra responsibility. Note whether your duties have grown since your pay was last set. Then look at what similar roles pay in your industry and town, using job adverts, colleagues in other firms and professional networks. A request that says "my role has grown, and similar posts are paid between X and Y" is much stronger than "I need more".

Choose the right moment

The best times are after a visible success, when the budget for the next year is being set, or at a scheduled review. Avoid asking when the business is under strain or your manager is rushed. Ask for a short meeting in advance so the conversation is planned, not sprung on them.

Make the request clearly

Say what you are asking for and why in a few sentences. Give a figure or a narrow range, and be ready to explain how you reached it. If the answer is no, ask what would need to happen for a yes, and by when. A specific plan, such as a review in three months against agreed targets, is a good result even if the money is not immediate. Gross pay versus net pay explains how to talk about pay in terms your employer will recognise.

Work out what you will really keep

A rise is added on top of your current salary, so it falls in your highest tax band. If you earn KES 100,000 a month, extra pay is taxed at 30% before the other deductions. SHIF at 2.75% and the Housing Levy at 1.5% also rise with gross pay, while NSSF may already be at its limit. The result is that a KES 10,000 increase can leave you with roughly KES 6,000 or less.

Use the PAYE calculator with your current pay and then with the new pay, and subtract the two net figures. That difference is your real increase. If an offer is quoted as a take-home amount instead, the net to gross salary calculator shows the gross pay needed to deliver it. Our guide to how PAYE is calculated explains why the answer is what it is.

Look at the whole package

Pay is not just the monthly salary. Compare allowances, medical cover, pension contributions, leave, training and flexibility. Some benefits are taxable and some are not; see taxable allowances and company benefits before you trade one for another. Contributing more to a registered pension can raise your take-home value without a larger tax bill, as explained in pension contributions and tax relief for employees.

Bonuses versus salary

A one-off bonus is taxed at your highest band too, but it does not increase your pay for the future. If you are offered a bonus instead of a rise, calculate it with the bonus tax calculator and ask how it will be reviewed next year. See tax on bonuses and commissions for a worked example.

Get it in writing

If the answer is yes, ask for a letter or contract amendment that states the new salary, the date it starts and any new duties. Check the first payslip against it using how to spot mistakes on your payslip, and if the numbers do not match, raise it at once.

Plan for the extra money

Decide in advance what the extra income is for, whether saving, debt repayment or a goal. Without a plan, a rise is quickly absorbed by higher spending. The gross to net salary table lets you test different salaries and see the net, and how to budget on a Kenyan salary after deductions helps you assign the new money to a purpose.

If you are told no, take the feedback seriously, keep building your record and ask again at the next review. A prepared, calm request is remembered, even when it is not granted straight away.