WordPress Maintenance in Kenya: What a Care Plan Should Include (From KES 60K a Year)
Short answer: a good WordPress care plan keeps your site updated, secure, fast and recoverable, and gives you a team to call when something needs changing. At minimum it should cover WordPress core, theme and plugin updates (checked afterwards), security monitoring, performance checks, a clear plan for backups and restores, and help with small changes. With us, backups are a paid add-on rather than part of the care plan. Our care plans start from KES 60,000 a year (USD 600 a year), billed annually, and the final price depends on the size of your site and whether it runs a shop.
Most WordPress problems start after launch: a plugin that wasn’t updated, an update that broke the checkout, a certificate that expired, a backup that was never taken. This guide explains what a care plan should include, what is usually charged separately, and the questions to ask before you sign one.
Why WordPress sites need maintenance
WordPress powers a huge share of the web, which makes it a constant target. New versions of WordPress, themes and plugins come out every few weeks, many of them security fixes. A WordPress site that isn’t updated slowly becomes easier to break into, slower and more likely to fail when one part updates and another doesn’t.
For a Kenyan business, the cost of a broken site is direct: missed WhatsApp enquiries, an M-Pesa checkout that stops confirming orders, or a Google warning that tells visitors your site is unsafe. (Still choosing a platform? See WordPress vs Wix vs Squarespace for Kenyan businesses.)
What a WordPress care plan should include
| What’s covered | Why it matters | Ask your provider |
|---|---|---|
| Core, theme and plugin updates | Most hacks use known holes that updates already fix | How often? Do you test the site after updating? |
| Security monitoring | Catches malware, suspicious logins and changed files early | What do you monitor, and what happens if you find something? |
| Backups and restores | The only real undo button when something goes wrong | How often, where are they stored, and how fast can you restore? |
| Performance checks | Slow pages lose visitors on mobile data | Do you check speed on mobile, and fix what you find? |
| Uptime and SSL | Your site should be reachable, with a valid padlock | Will you tell me if the site goes down? |
| Shop and checkout checks | A broken checkout costs sales every hour | Do you test M-Pesa and card payments after updates? |
| Small changes and fixes | Prices, text, photos and staff change all the time | How many changes are included, and how fast do you reply? |
Updates, done carefully
Clicking “update all” is not maintenance. A proper care plan applies updates in a sensible order, checks the key pages and forms afterwards, and rolls back if something breaks. On shops, that includes placing a test order.
Security monitoring
Look for monitoring that includes a firewall, malware scans and alerts on suspicious activity. Ask what happens if something is found. Cleaning up a hacked site is a bigger job and is usually a separate service (see WordPress malware removal).
Backups you can actually restore
Ask where backups live, how often they run and who restores them. A backup stored on the same server as the site is better than nothing, but an off-site copy is safer. Make sure your plan says clearly whether backups are included or extra. With us, backups are a paid add-on, not part of the care plan, so you can add them when you sign up or at any time.
Performance
Speed affects both sales and Google rankings. A care plan should include regular checks, image and cache housekeeping, and flag when a plugin or theme is slowing things down. Bigger speed projects are quoted separately (see WordPress speed optimisation).
Help when something needs changing
Small edits are where a care plan earns its keep: a new price, a staff photo, a holiday notice. Ask how you request changes and how quickly you’ll get a reply. We reply within minutes during working hours (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm EAT), on WhatsApp or phone.
What is usually not included
Be clear on this before you sign, so there are no surprises:
- Malware removal and hack repair on a site that is already infected.
- Custom plugin or theme development (see custom WordPress plugins and themes).
- Major speed optimisation projects.
- Redesigns, new pages and new features.
- Backups, which are a paid add-on with us.
- Hosting and domain renewals, which are billed separately.
With us, these are separate services, quoted when needed, and we say so in writing.
How much does WordPress maintenance cost in Kenya?
Our care plans start from KES 60,000 a year (USD 600 a year). Care and support plans are billed annually, not monthly. The final price depends on:
- The size of the site: a five-page company site needs less work than a 50-page site.
- Whether it runs a shop: WooCommerce stores need checkout testing after every update.
- How often it changes: a site that’s edited every week needs more support time.
- How healthy it is today: a neglected site may need a one-off clean-up before the plan starts.
Separately, budget for hosting (ours starts from KES 10,000 a year and includes a free SSL certificate), backups if you want them (a paid add-on) and your domain renewal. For all the yearly costs of owning a website, see our website cost guide for Kenya and our pricing page.
Can you maintain a site another developer built?
Yes. We look after WordPress sites built by other developers too. We start with a review of the plugins, theme, hosting and security, fix anything urgent, then recommend the right plan. If you’re not sure what state your site is in, a website audit is a good first step.
DIY maintenance vs a care plan
You can maintain a WordPress site yourself if you have the time and a test routine. Here’s a fair comparison:
| Option | Doing it yourself | A care plan |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Your time, plus backup and security tools | From KES 60,000 a year with us |
| Updates | You update, test and fix if it breaks | Applied and checked for you |
| When something breaks | You find a developer in a hurry | One team that already knows your site |
| Best for | Simple sites with a confident owner | Business sites, shops and anyone short of time |
7 questions to ask before you sign a care plan
- What exactly is included, and what is charged separately?
- How often do you update, and do you test afterwards?
- Where are backups stored, how often, and how fast can you restore?
- What security monitoring do you run?
- How do I request changes, and how fast do you reply?
- Do you test checkout and payments after updates (for shops)?
- Is the price annual or monthly, and what happens at renewal?
Frequently asked questions
What is included in a WordPress care plan?
Updates to WordPress, themes and plugins, security monitoring, performance checks and help when something needs changing. For shops, we also check the checkout and payments such as M-Pesa after updates. Backups are a paid add-on.
How much does WordPress maintenance cost in Kenya?
Our care plans start from KES 60,000 a year (USD 600 a year), billed annually. The final price depends on the size of your site, how often it changes and whether it runs a shop.
Can I pay for a care plan monthly?
No. Care and support plans are billed annually. You get one invoice a year, and in Kenya you can pay by M-Pesa or bank transfer; clients paying in US dollars can use PayPal or Wise.
Is malware removal included in a care plan?
No. Malware removal and hack repair, custom plugin work and major speed optimisation are separate services, quoted when needed. Backups are a paid add-on.
Do you maintain WordPress sites built by other developers?
Yes. We review the site first, fix anything urgent and then recommend a plan.
How quickly do you respond to support requests?
We reply within minutes during working hours, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm EAT, on phone or WhatsApp at +254 705 828 000.
Get a care plan quote for your site
Send us your website address and we’ll recommend the right level after a quick review. During working hours (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm EAT) we reply within minutes on phone or WhatsApp at +254 705 828 000.
Schedule a discovery call to discuss your project
Prefer it in writing? Request a quote.
Written by Vincent Ochieng, founder of Butterfly Prime Solutions (since 2012). Last updated: 20 October 2026.
