How to Start a CCTV Installation Business in Kenya

Security demand is rising in every Kenyan town — here's how to turn CCTV skills into income.

📅 Published: September 9, 2026 ⏱️ Reading time: 7 minutes 💡 Difficulty: Beginner-Friendly

Every new shop, apartment block, school, church, and home compound going up in Kenya today is a potential CCTV client. Security concerns and affordable camera hardware have made CCTV installation one of the more accessible technical skills to turn directly into a self-employed business — you don't need a shop front, just the technical know-how and a first few clients.

Here's a practical look at what the work actually involves and how to get started.

What a CCTV Installer Actually Does

Employed vs Self-Employed

Employed route:
Security companies, electrical contractors, and IT/networking firms in Eldoret and beyond regularly hire trained CCTV installers as technicians — a steady starting point while you build savings and a client network of your own.
Self-employed route:
Once trained, many installers go independent — quoting and installing systems directly for shops, landlords, schools, and homeowners. Word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied clients are the main growth engine in this business, which is why the "quoting, costing & client management" side of training matters as much as the technical side.

What It Costs to Get Started

The training itself is the affordable part — MTTI's CCTV Installation & Configuration course is KES 18,000 for a focused 1-month, TVETA-accredited program. The bigger cost after training is your first hardware kit (cameras, DVR/NVR, cabling, connectors, and basic tools), which most installers build up gradually — starting with what's needed for your first paying job rather than buying a large stock upfront.

Practical tip: your first few jobs are often the hardest to land. Many new installers start by offering a lower rate on a friend's or relative's property to build a real, photographable installation they can show future clients — then raise pricing once they have referrals and a visible track record.

Pricing the Work

CCTV installation pricing in Kenya is typically quoted per job — covering hardware, cabling, labour, and configuration — rather than a flat hourly rate, since every site (number of cameras, cable runs, building layout) is different. This is exactly why the course covers quoting and costing as a dedicated topic: underquoting a job because you didn't account for cable length or connector costs is one of the most common mistakes new installers make.

Where the Work Is

Demand isn't limited to Nairobi — Eldoret and other growing towns have steady demand from retail shops, rental apartment blocks, schools, churches, warehouses, and residential compounds, most of which currently rely on installers travelling in from bigger towns. A locally-based, trained installer has a real advantage serving that local demand directly.

Learn the Full Syllabus

If you want to see exactly what's covered unit by unit before enrolling, MTTI's CCTV course study pages walk through each stage in detail: CCTV components, system design & site survey, installation & configuration, video transmission & storage, and troubleshooting & maintenance.

Getting Started

MTTI's CCTV Installation course is TVETA-accredited (TVETA/PRIVATE/TVC/0023/2026), taught hands-on at our Sagaas Centre campus in Eldoret, with flexible payment plans available.

Start Your CCTV Installation Course

1 month, TVETA-certified, hands-on training at MTTI Eldoret.

View CCTV Course & Fees