Registering Your Business With The Government

1. Before you register

Before you register your business, you will need to consider:-

• Where your main office will be located.
• Which other counties in Kenya do you plan to operate in ?
• Your proposed business name. Learn More Business Name Search and Reservation
• The type of business that best suits your needs ( Types of Business Entities in Kenya) for help in determining which business structure is right for you). 

4. Register The Company

Register your company at the Companies Registry (Business Registration Service) in Kenya. All registrations, including business name registrations, are processed through the E-citizen online platform. The process combines name reservation and business registration into one step. This involves :

• Conducting a name search and reserving the name. Learn more here Business Name Search and Reservation
• Having an advocate/lawyer draw up the memorandum and articles of association, and
• Submitting the completed forms and documents (as stipulated on the company registry website)  along with payment on site of stamp duty of nominal capital and of the registration fee.

If all documents have been submitted correctly, the certificate of incorporation will be issued within 3- 5 days.

If registering as a foreign company, the Registry will issue a certificate of compliance upon submission of  the company charter/memorandum duly notarized from the country of origin together with the company registration forms (236,237,238,250).

 3. Register for Tax , Social Security and Healthcare Insurance.

You will need to register to pay taxes. The following are the taxes registered during registration;-

• Pay as you earn (PAYE) for companies starting with employees.
• Corporate income tax and
• Value Added Tax (VAT) for companies whose annual revenue exceeds Kshs. 5,000, 000.

Registration for employer contributions to the National Social Security Fund and the National Hospital Insurance Fund is also required.

4. Obtain a Single Business Permit

You will need to register for a single business permit with the county where you intend to operate the company.

5. Register for Permits, Licences, and Regulations

You are required to register for the permits, licenses, and regulations applicable to your business sector, whether it's Agriculture, Education, Energy, Health, Manufacturing, Tourism, ICT, Finance, Import-Export, or Construction.

6. Register with the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA)

NITA Levy is a mandatory contribution that employers in Kenya are required to make towards the National Industrial Training Authority. The levy is calculated at a monthly rate of KSh. 50 per employee, including casual employees.

If an employer has fewer than 100 employees, they are not required to register or make payments within the first year of operation. This exemption applies from the date of incorporation onwards.

7. Make a Company Seal

Companies are no longer required to obtain a company seal following the Companies Act, 2015. However, companies typically still choose to have seals made by providing a copy of the certificate of incorporation to seal makers.

8. Register the workplace with the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services.

A company may obtain a Certificate of Registration of a Workplace from the Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety Services for each premise it used as a workplace.