CCTV installation in Nairobi and across Kenya

In short: a good CCTV system covers every way into your property (the gate, the doors, the parking and any blind side of the building), records clearly at night, keeps at least two weeks of footage and keeps running through power cuts. We plan the camera positions on site, quote each item separately, install the cables, cameras and recorder neatly, and set up viewing on your phone before we leave.

Which type of CCTV system do you need?

System	Best for	Good to know
Wired IP (PoE)	Standalone houses, businesses, schools, compounds	One network cable carries power and video to each camera. Sharpest picture, and it keeps recording when the internet is down.
Wi-Fi cameras	Apartments, small shops, rented homes	Quick to fit with no cable runs. Each camera records to its own memory card and needs a strong Wi-Fi signal.
Solar 4G cameras	Farms, construction sites, remote gates, boreholes	Own solar panel and battery, streaming over a Safaricom or Airtel data SIM. No mains power or Wi-Fi needed.
AI cameras	Perimeters, car parks, busy entrances	Tell people and vehicles apart, so alerts are not set off by dogs, trees moving or rain.

Where the cameras go

Intruders usually come over the perimeter wall, through the gate or in by a back door, so those are covered first:

• The gate: a camera zoomed to catch faces and number plates as people stop.
• The front door: a close, head-height view of anyone at the door.
• Parking: full-colour night cameras so cars stay clearly visible after dark.
• Back and side passages: the quiet routes people use to reach the back of the house.
• Tills, stores and cash points in shops and offices.

Our free CCTV planner shows camera positions for homes, shops, supermarkets, offices, schools, farms and more, with a full equipment list.

Recording, storage and power cuts

Footage is stored on a surveillance hard drive inside the network video recorder (NVR). As a guide, one 4MP camera recording around the clock uses about 18 GB a day, so four cameras need roughly a 1 TB drive to keep two weeks of footage. Recording on motion only stretches that much further.

Power cuts are a common reason CCTV systems in Kenya stop recording. A UPS keeps the recorder and cameras running through KPLC outages and protects them from surges when the power comes back. Where there is no mains power at all, we use solar cameras.

Watching your cameras on your phone

A wired system records without internet. To watch live or play back footage while you are away, the recorder connects to your home fibre, Wi-Fi router or a 4G router, and we set up the manufacturer’s app (Dahua’s DMSS, for example) on your phone during the handover, including how to find and save a clip.

Business CCTV and the Data Protection Act

If your cameras record customers, staff, tenants or members of the public, the Data Protection Act, 2019 applies. Put up clear notices that CCTV is in use, aim cameras at your own property rather than into neighbours’ windows, limit who can view recordings and delete footage you no longer need. We point these out during the survey.

What affects the cost

• How many cameras, and which type: Wi-Fi, wired IP, solar or AI.
• Resolution and night vision: infrared (black and white) or full colour.
• The length and difficulty of cable runs, including trunking, conduit and roof work.
• Recorder size and hard drive capacity, i.e. how many days of footage you keep.
• Backup power (UPS) and internet for remote viewing.

Our CCTV installation cost guide breaks this down with today’s equipment prices.