Business registration in Kenya gives you a choice of entity — from a sole proprietorship or partnership to a private limited company or branch of a foreign company — each with its own legal standing, cost and compliance obligations. For a private limited company, the most widely used structure, the official Business Registration Service (BRS) fee is KES 10,650 and the process takes three to five working days once a complete application is lodged. Name reservation and registration are now a single filing, there is no minimum share capital, and no Kenyan shareholder or director is required.
Official fees on this page are taken from the Business Registration Service Companies Registry fee schedule. They are government charges and are exclusive of legal fees and disbursements. BRS revises its schedule from time to time, so confirm the current figure before you budget. Last reviewed on 7 August 2026 by the Corporate and Commercial team at OLM Law Advocates LLP.
Kenya’s Business Registration Service registers four main categories of business entity. The right choice depends on your ownership structure, liability tolerance, investor requirements and the nature of your activities.
A business name registered by a single individual. Registration costs KES 950 and is completed online via the eCitizen portal. There is no legal separation between the owner and the business — the owner is personally liable for all debts and obligations. Sole proprietorships suit freelancers, consultants and micro-traders who are not yet ready for the compliance obligations of a company.
A business owned by two or more persons (up to a maximum of twenty) who share profits, losses and unlimited personal liability. The registration fee is KES 950 for a business name under a partnership. A written partnership deed is strongly advisable even though it is not a statutory requirement. Limited liability partnerships (LLPs), which provide liability protection for some partners, are registered at KES 25,000 and governed by the Limited Liability Partnership Act.
The most widely used entity for business registration in Kenya. A private limited company is a separate legal person — it can own property, sue and be sued in its own name, and its shareholders’ liability is limited to their unpaid share capital. There is no minimum share capital requirement. The BRS registration fee is KES 10,650, and a company must have at least one director and one shareholder (who may be the same person). Foreign nationals may hold 100% of the shares and directorships.
A foreign company that wishes to carry on business in Kenya may register a branch rather than incorporating a local subsidiary. The registration fee is KES 7,550. A branch is not a separate legal entity — it remains an extension of the parent — and the parent company’s constitutional documents, a CR17 form and certified translations (if not in English) must be filed. Many foreign investors prefer a local subsidiary for liability isolation, but a branch suits companies testing the Kenyan market or required to contract directly with the parent.
Company registration in Kenya is handled entirely online, through the eCitizen platform under the Business Registration Service. The sequence below is the one we follow when incorporating for clients.
The registry timeline runs from a complete and correct application, so the avoidable delays all sit at the preparation stage. Our company registration requirements and documents checklist sets out what each form contains and why applications get queried.
The official BRS fee for a private limited company is KES 10,650, and fees for other entity types range from KES 950 for a business name to KES 25,000 for an LLP. There is no longer a separate name reservation fee.
For the full BRS fee schedule by entity type — including forms filed, the document issued and the registry timeline for each — see our complete cost of company registration in Kenya guide.
A private company can be registered with a single shareholder who is also the sole director. The registry needs complete particulars for every shareholder and director, three proposed company names, and a Kenyan registered office address.
For the detailed documents checklist — including what corporate shareholders must provide and when a company secretary is required — see our company registration requirements and documents checklist.
A foreign national or a foreign company can own a Kenyan company outright in most sectors, with no Kenyan partner or nominee shareholder required. The choice sits between a Kenyan subsidiary, a branch of the foreign company, or a limited liability partnership, and it turns on liability and tax rather than the registration fee. Sector-licensing conditions and the constitutional bar on non-citizen freehold land ownership are the two restrictions that catch investors out, and foreign directors and staff still need a work permit to live or work in Kenya.
For the full comparison of the three routes, the branch tax position and the registration steps, see our guide to foreign company and branch registration in Kenya.
An official search of the companies register produces the CR12, a certified extract stating the registered name and number, the registered office, the directors, and the shareholders with their shareholding. The official fee is KES 650, and KES 250 for the CR13 equivalent for a registered business name. A free name search is not proof of registration, is not certified, and tells you nothing about who owns or controls the company.
Banks, procuring entities and counterparties ask for a recent CR12 rather than a certificate of incorporation, because only the CR12 states the current position. Our guide explains how to check whether a company is registered in Kenya, what a CR12 will not tell you, and why some searches take three to five days.
The certificate of incorporation is the start of compliance, not the end of it. A new company needs a KRA PIN before it can transact, and should take advice on its tax registrations, including VAT and electronic tax invoicing where those apply. Statutory employer registrations follow once the company has staff, premises require a county business permit, and many activities require a sector licence or regulatory approval on top.
Banks apply full know-your-customer checks to newly incorporated and foreign-owned companies, asking for the certificate, the constitutional documents, a recent CR12, board resolutions and identification for every director, shareholder and beneficial owner. Account opening is frequently the longest single item in the whole exercise. For the wider picture see doing business in Kenya, and our tax practice for the registrations that follow. Where the business or its founders are planning an acquisition or a sale, our M&A due diligence guide covers deal structuring, merger clearance and transaction documentation.
Company incorporation in Kenya is completed entirely online, so where the business will be based does not change how the company is registered. A founder in Nairobi and a founder abroad file through the same eCitizen platform under the Business Registration Service, and receive the same digital certificate of incorporation. What a Nairobi address does affect are the registrations that follow, because the county business permit and the physical premises sit under the relevant county government rather than the national registry.
To register a company online in Kenya you need a verified eCitizen account, the three proposed names, the shareholder and director particulars set out above, and a Kenyan registered office address for form CR8. Once the application is complete the registry works to its three to five day timeline regardless of location. Where a company will cross the paid-up capital threshold or wants ongoing filing support, our company secretarial services in Kenya cover statutory registers, annual returns and board compliance after incorporation.
Business registration in Kenya is the starting point, not the finish line. Companies face a structured set of ongoing obligations from the moment the certificate of incorporation is issued.
Every company must obtain a KRA PIN through iTax immediately after incorporation — this is required before opening a bank account, signing contracts or filing any return. Companies with an annual turnover above KES 5 million must register for VAT. Employers must register for PAYE (Pay As You Earn) before processing the first payroll. Electronic Tax Invoice Management (eTIMS) registration is required for businesses issuing VAT-able supplies.
Any company employing staff must register with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF, formerly NHIF) within 30 days of engaging its first employee. Monthly NSSF and SHIF deductions and employer contributions are remitted on the employee’s behalf.
A single business permit from the relevant County Government is required for any business operating from a fixed premises. Permits are issued annually, costs vary by county and business category, and trading without a valid permit can attract penalties. Nairobi County permits are obtained through the Nairobi City County e-service portal.
Every registered company must file annual returns with the Registrar of Companies no later than 42 days after each anniversary of the date of registration. Returns are filed on the eCitizen portal and accompanied by the prescribed fee. A company must also maintain statutory registers (register of members, directors, beneficial owners) at its registered office and make them available for inspection.
All companies incorporated under the Companies Act 2015 must appoint a qualified company secretary. The company secretary is responsible for ensuring compliance with statutory filing deadlines, maintaining the registers, and advising the board on corporate governance matters. OLM Law Advocates provides company secretarial services in Kenya for companies that do not have a full-time in-house secretary.
Even straightforward registrations can stall at predictable points. Knowing where difficulties arise makes it easier to prepare.
The BRS name-check algorithm flags names that are identical or confusingly similar to existing registered names, names that are offensive or contrary to public interest, and names that suggest a connection to government or regulated professions without the required approval. Submitting three ranked alternatives with the application significantly reduces delays. Highly generic names (e.g. “Kenya Trading Limited”) are almost always rejected on similarity grounds; specific, distinctive names clear the check more reliably.
Foreign nationals serving as directors must provide certified copies of their passport and, depending on jurisdiction of issue, may need to have documents apostilled or notarised before submission. Documents in languages other than English require a certified translation. Delays at this stage are the most common reason foreign-owned company applications take longer than the standard three-to-five-day window.
County business permits involve a separate process from BRS registration and are sometimes subject to inspection requirements, zoning checks or outstanding rates. Nairobi County in particular can take several weeks if an inspection is required. Budgeting time for this step — and beginning the application as soon as premises are confirmed — avoids gaps in lawful trading.
Banks conduct full KYC reviews on new companies, particularly those with foreign shareholders or directors. Standard requirements include the certificate of incorporation, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, a recent CR12, board resolutions authorising the account, and identification for every director, shareholder and beneficial owner. Some banks also require audited accounts or proof of trading for accounts above certain transaction thresholds. Engaging a bank that has a streamlined process for newly incorporated companies saves weeks.
KES 10,650 in official BRS fees for a private limited company, KES 950 for a business name, KES 7,550 for a branch of a foreign company and KES 25,000 for a limited liability partnership. Those are government charges only; legal fees and disbursements are separate.
BRS gives three to five working days for a company or a branch, and one day for a business name or an LLP, running from a complete and correct filing. Foreign-owned incorporations usually take longer overall, because notarising and legalising documents abroad sits outside the registry timeline.
No. Name reservation and registration are now a single step: three proposed names go in with the full application, and there is no separate reservation fee or waiting period. Any checklist that has you reserve a name and come back later predates the merge.
Yes, and in most sectors a foreigner can own the company outright without a Kenyan partner. The exceptions come from sector licensing conditions rather than from the Companies Act, and from the constitutional restriction on non-citizens holding freehold land.
No. The filing is made online and the shareholders and directors can be abroad, provided the signed forms and identity documents are properly notarised and, where required, legalised. You do need a Kenyan registered office address from the start.
A business name at KES 950 registers a trading name and is not a separate legal entity, so the proprietor remains personally liable. A private limited company at KES 10,650 is a separate legal person with limited liability, and is what banks, landlords and counterparties generally expect to deal with.
The Companies Act sets no general minimum for a private limited company. Some regulated activities impose their own capital requirements as a licensing condition, and the official fee for later increasing or reducing nominal capital varies with the amount, so the figure is worth choosing deliberately.
The filing itself can be made by anyone holding the correct particulars. What advice buys is the part that is expensive to fix afterwards: the choice of entity, the shareholding and share classes, the constitutional documents and shareholder arrangements, and the beneficial ownership position where the structure runs through holding companies.
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See also our detailed guides to the cost of company registration in Kenya, the documents and requirements checklist, registering a company as a foreigner, how to check whether a company is registered, our guide to converting or re-registering a company, our guide to striking off a company, and our company and business registration practice.
For any enquiries on this or any other matter, do not hesitate to contact us via email at [email protected].
Talk to Our Company Registration Team Get in TouchDisclaimer: This article has been prepared for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute a lawyer-client relationship. Nothing in this article is intended to guarantee, warranty, or predict the outcome of a particular case and should not be construed as such a guarantee, warranty, or prediction. The authors are not responsible for any actions (or lack thereof) taken as a result of relying on or in any way using information contained in this article and in no event shall be liable for any damages resulting from reliance on or use of this information. Readers should take specific advice from a qualified professional when dealing with specific situations.
