Hire an AI consultant in Kenya by defining the outcome first, testing candidates on evidence, and agreeing the scope in writing before any money moves. The order matters, because each step makes the next one easier.
Write the outcome in one sentence before you contact anyone. A brief like a ranked list of where AI can save our managers time, with costs, gives a consultant far more to work with than we want AI. Find candidates through referrals from business owners in situations similar to yours, through LinkedIn where genuine practitioners publish and teach in public, and through the local tech community, then shortlist three.
Ask each candidate what the problem was, what they built or changed, and what happened afterwards. Numbers help where the client allows sharing. Then agree the scope in writing, covering deliverables, dates, price, and what happens if the project changes direction. A serious strategy engagement takes weeks, not a single afternoon; for reference, our strategy engagements at EddyLabs run four to six weeks.
Ask about data handling before you share anything sensitive. We sign NDAs, which are confidentiality agreements, and we use enterprise models, which are versions of AI tools that do not use client data for training. Whatever a consultant promises, get it into the agreement. Then start smaller than you think, because a four week roadmap that you act on beats a six month plan that sits in a drawer.