14 Steps to Registering a Limited Company in Kenya
Registration of a Limited company in Kenya in 3 days from Nairobi. The registration includes a certificate of incorporation and a CR12 form. Business Registration requirements include the fee, passport photos, id card number, pin number, occupation, director residence, emails, telephone numbers and shareholding.
To start a company in Kenya you need to register your business with the office of company registrations in Kenya. Learn how to register a limited company in Kenya and requirements using this step by step guide. Kenya Revenue Authority will also issue you a company PIN for tax purposes. This article is a guide on how to incorporate a company limited by shares in Kenya from Kisumu, Nairobi, Mombasa, Isiolo, Kiambu, Narok, Nakuru, Embu, Eldoret, Kilifi, Malindi, Kakamega, Kitale, Nyeri, Garissa, Moyale, Kajiado, Machakos, Muranga and other Kenyan towns. Here are tips on how to register a limited company in Kenya. Find out How much does it cost, requirements and procedure to register a company in Kenya.
It is now possible to register your company online by opening a personal ecitizen account. You can register a general supplies, tenders company, tour, agricultural business, real estate company, manufacturing, learning institution, hospital, car hire business, advertising etc. The government of Kenya has put a lot of effort to digitize most of its services including company registration, passport issuance, motor vehicle registration, drivers licensing among others. All you need to do is to open a personal account at www.e-citizen.go.ke
To start a company in Kenya you need to register your business with the office of company registrations in Kenya. Learn how to register a limited company in Kenya and requirements using this step by step guide. Kenya Revenue Authority will also issue you a company PIN for tax purposes. This article is a guide on how to incorporate a company limited by shares in Kenya from Kisumu, Nairobi, Mombasa, Isiolo, Kiambu, Narok, Nakuru, Embu, Eldoret, Kilifi, Malindi, Kakamega, Kitale, Nyeri, Garissa, Moyale, Kajiado, Machakos, Muranga and other Kenyan towns. Here are tips on how to register a limited company in Kenya. Find out How much does it cost, requirements and procedure to register a company in Kenya.
It is now possible to register your company online by opening a personal ecitizen account. You can register a general supplies, tenders company, tour, agricultural business, real estate company, manufacturing, learning institution, hospital, car hire business, advertising etc. The government of Kenya has put a lot of effort to digitize most of its services including company registration, passport issuance, motor vehicle registration, drivers licensing among others. All you need to do is to open a personal account at www.e-citizen.go.ke
Find Company Registration Agents in Kenya, Contact us via call or whatsapp (254) 0722661827
HOW TO REGISTER a limited company in Kenya?
The requirements on how to register a limited company in Kenya include;
- National ID /Passport Number: The system will need you to input your ID or passport number to register with e-citizen and company
- Passport Photo: You will need to upload a clear passport photo to register a company in Kenya. Do not wear a hat or glasses.
- Good Internet: To ensure seamless registration process, you should have a stable internet connection
- Email address: Make sure that you have a valid email address which you will need to register yourself on e-citizen and company registration
- Register Details of Shareholders: Names of the shareholders will be required.
- KRA PIN Number: You will need to add your personal KRA PIN number
- Register Directors Residential Address: You as the company director will need to include your home address in the company registration forms
- Register the Company Address: You will also need to include the company physical location address which could also be your home address.
- Register the Company Nominal capital: Indicate the number of shares and the value of each share.
- Directors Telephone Number: You will also have to fill in your telephone number in the company registration documents
- Occupation: The forms will require you to fill in your Occupation as a director.
How to Open a Personal Ecitizen Account
You can open an ecitizen account from a cyber café or even from your own smart phone. The process to open an ecitizen account is so easy that it takes less than 2 minutes to complete. Here are 4 steps to follow to open your ecitizen account and register your own company or business name online.
Here are the 4 steps to open an ecitizen account in Kenya
Here are the 4 steps to open an ecitizen account in Kenya
- Go to www.ecitizen.go.ke
- Fill in the account registration form
- Confirm your email address
- Log back into your account
1.) Go to www.ecitizen.go.ke
This is a one stop shop for various government services including company registration. To open your personal account on ecitizen, you will need to have the following with you.
i. ID card number
ii. Email address
iii. Telephone number
i. ID card number
ii. Email address
iii. Telephone number
2.) Fill in the Account Registration Form
At the ecitizen account, fill in your full names as they appear on your ID Card. You also need to provide a working personal email address and a telephone number. Fill in all the details and your account is ready. Put in your preferred username and password.
To make it easy to remember your login details, you can select your ID card number as both your username and password. You are now ready to start registration of your limited company from your own ecitizen account.
To make it easy to remember your login details, you can select your ID card number as both your username and password. You are now ready to start registration of your limited company from your own ecitizen account.
3.) Confirm your Email Address
The ecitizen account will ask you to confirm your email address just to make sure that your email is valid. Go to your email address and click on verify email button and you will be ready to register your company.
4.) Log Back Into Your Ecitizen Account
You can now log back into your account to register your limited company. The system will automatically require double logins just to make sure you are the owner of the account. This is to protect people who forget to log out of their accounts in cyber cafes where someone else might come and have access to their accounts.
Types of Business /Companies to Register in Kenya
There are several types of businesses that you can register in Kenya through the office of registrar of companies. These are the available options to register your business name or company in Kenya. They are categorised as business name or sole proprietorship, unlimited companies or limited companies. These are the types of company or business registration options available in Kenya:-
- Business name or Sole Proprietorship
- Partnerships
- Private Limited Company
- Public Limited Company
- Companies limited by guarantee
- Unlimited companies
- Branch Office of a Foreign Registered Company
- Societies
Find Company Registration Agents in Kenya, Contact us via call or whatsapp (254) 0722661827
14 Steps to Registering a Company in Kenya
After opening your ecitizen account, you can start filling in the registration forms in the system. The system saves each form you complete and takes you to the next.
14 Steps to register a company in Kenya include;
14 Steps to register a company in Kenya include;
- Register with e-citizen in order to register your company online
- Open the Business Registration Portal
- Click on Make a new Registration button
- Fill in the Company Registration form CR1
- Register the Company Memorandum of Association form CR2
- Register the Directors Notice of Residential Address form CR8
- Fill in the Statement Nominal Capital form
- Fill in the Register of Beneficiary Owners Form
- Print the CR1, CR2, CR8, Nominal capital forms
- Sign all the forms required to register your company
- Scan the all the forms and Upload them back into the system
- Make Payment by Mpesa Pay Bill
- Click on Payment Completed Button
- Receive a receipt
- Wait for your company Registration Certificate of Incorporation in 3 days
1.) Open the Business Registration Portal
Once you are logged back into your account, you will see several government services sections including immigration, national transport and safety authority, and other local county government services section.
Select the business registration services section and click on it.
Select the business registration services section and click on it.
2.) Click On Make a New Application Link
This will take you to a page where you can click on ‘Make a new application’. Once you click on this button, it will open the Company Registration Form 1 CR1.
3.) Fill the Company Registration Form 1 CR1
The first thing to do is to choose if you want to register a business name or a limited company. After that the form allows you to put in 3 different names in order of preference. The system will pick the one that is available and register it as your company.
You will also indicate the type of business your company will be involved in Kenya. To register a general supplies, tour, farming, health services or a School business Company; you will need to fill in the type of business to be undertaken. There is a drop down list of categories that you have to choose to identify the type of business for your company.
The CR1 form also requires you to fill in the details of the directors, secretary and authorized signatories of the company. Fill in the following details on the company registration form CR1.
You will also need to indicate the name of the person who is making the application and his or her designation. This form CR1 two (2) signatures and it’s important to note that when it comes to printing the filled-in forms for signatures.
You will also indicate the type of business your company will be involved in Kenya. To register a general supplies, tour, farming, health services or a School business Company; you will need to fill in the type of business to be undertaken. There is a drop down list of categories that you have to choose to identify the type of business for your company.
The CR1 form also requires you to fill in the details of the directors, secretary and authorized signatories of the company. Fill in the following details on the company registration form CR1.
- Names of directors
- Directors’ designation in the company
- Directors’ postal addresses
- ID card or passport numbers
- Nationality
- Telephone numbers
- Email addresses
You will also need to indicate the name of the person who is making the application and his or her designation. This form CR1 two (2) signatures and it’s important to note that when it comes to printing the filled-in forms for signatures.
4.) Fill in the Company Memorandum of Association form CR2
The memorandum is a list of subscribers that wish to form the company and their proposed shareholding. You have are given a choice of either submitting your own memorandum or adopting a pre-prepared one to make things move faster.
The Company memorandum of association form will require you to indicate the following;
The Company memorandum of association form will require you to indicate the following;
- Name of Each Shareholder in the company
- Passport photo of each company shareholder
- ID card Number of each Shareholder
- KRA Pin Number of each shareholder
- P.O. Box address of shareholder
- Occupation of each Shareholders
- Number of company shares taken by each shareholder
- Nominal value of shares taken
- Class or type of shares taken
- Rights attached to each class of shares if any
- Signatures of each subscriber
- Signature of the Person Completing the form
Find Company Registration Agents in Kenya, Contact us via call or whatsapp (254) 0722661827
5.) Fill in the Notice of Residential Address form CR8
The Notice of Residential Address form CR8 is a form that establishes the company directors’ residential addresses. This is supposed to let the government know where you stay in case of anything with the company.
The CR8 must be up to date and anytime a director changes his or her domicile, they are supposed to file for change of director residential address. To fill in this form, you will need to indicate the below;
A new notice of change of residence should be filed in case any of the directors change their residences.
The CR8 must be up to date and anytime a director changes his or her domicile, they are supposed to file for change of director residential address. To fill in this form, you will need to indicate the below;
- Name of Director
- Residential address/new residential address of the director
- Residence, Locality, District, County
- Address of person lodging the notice
- Telephone of the person lodging the notice
- Email of the person lodging the notice
- Signature of the person lodging the notice
- Capacity of the person lodging the notice and date
A new notice of change of residence should be filed in case any of the directors change their residences.
6.) Fill in the Statement of Nominal Capital form
The statement of Nominal capital form is derived from the stamp duty act cap (480) section 39 and schedule, article 8). This is the duty payable against the nominal capital shares of the company. This statement of nominal capital is to be filled with the memorandum of association when the company is registered.
In this section, you need to indicate the total number of shares issued and the value of each share at the start of the company. The nominal capital of the entire company will then be a product of the number of shares issues times the value of each share. It is the total value or nominal capital that is used to calculate the stamp duty.
The amount of Stamp duty payable is calculated at the rate of shillings 20/= for every KES 2,000 in nominal capital held by the company. That is total nominal capital divided by 2,000 and multiplied by 20. It is worthwhile to note that sectors are exempt from stamp duty.
The nominal capital page should also be signed by the person filling in the form and his or her designation in the company indicated.
In this section, you need to indicate the total number of shares issued and the value of each share at the start of the company. The nominal capital of the entire company will then be a product of the number of shares issues times the value of each share. It is the total value or nominal capital that is used to calculate the stamp duty.
The amount of Stamp duty payable is calculated at the rate of shillings 20/= for every KES 2,000 in nominal capital held by the company. That is total nominal capital divided by 2,000 and multiplied by 20. It is worthwhile to note that sectors are exempt from stamp duty.
The nominal capital page should also be signed by the person filling in the form and his or her designation in the company indicated.
7.) Fill in the Register of Beneficiary Owners Form
The register of Beneficiary Owners form is intended to identify the beneficiaries of each company in accordance with section 93A of the companies Act 2015. In this form you will fill in the following details of the company beneficiaries;
- Full name of each Beneficiary
- ID Card or Passport Number
- Personal Identification Number
- Nationality
- Date of Birth
- Residential Address
- Postal Address
- Current Email Address
- Current Telephone Number
- Occupation
- Link of Beneficiary owner with the company
- Nature of ownership or control the beneficiary owner has in the company
- Source of BO (Beneficiary Owner) information
- Details lodged on behalf of company by; Name, ID Card, Address, Signature, Capacity, Date
Find Company Registration Agents in Kenya, Contact us via call or whatsapp (254) 0722661827
8.) Print the CR1, CR2, CR8, Nominal Capital and BO Forms
You have now filled in all the different application forms required to apply for a limited company in Kenya. Since all these forms require a physical signature, you will need to print all the 5 forms in clear print. Make sure you print in white paper for easier legibility.
9.) Sign All the Forms
Sign all the forms in blue or black pen. Don’t photocopy the signed copies. You will need to submit the original signed documents so that the government can know it’s you personally signing the documents. It’s important to make sure that you sign all the documents and indicate designation where required. If you miss a signature, the application will not go through.
10.) Scan the all the Forms and Submit them back into the Application
Scan all the signed CR1, CR2, CR8, Nominal Capital and BO forms and upload them into the system. You will use the 5 buttons to upload each document into the system. Your company application process is complete now pending payment of the application fees.
Scan all the signed CR1, CR2, CR8, Nominal Capital and BO forms and upload them into the system. You will use the 5 buttons to upload each document into the system. Your company application process is complete now pending payment of the application fees.
Scan all the signed CR1, CR2, CR8, Nominal Capital and BO forms and upload them into the system. You will use the 5 buttons to upload each document into the system. Your company application process is complete now pending payment of the application fees.
11.) Make Payment by Mpesa PayBill
You can now make payment for your application by mobile money called Mpesa. Your application will generate a special and unique reference number that you will use to pay by paybill to Mpesa. The amount required to register a limited company in Kenya will be indicated on this page.
Once you make the payment by Mpesa, you will get the notification from Mpesa.
Once you make the payment by Mpesa, you will get the notification from Mpesa.
12.) Click on the Confirm Payment Button
You can now click on the confirm payment button after you receive your mpesa receipt. Clicking this button will alert the system that you have made the payment and will trigger the production of a receipt from the office of the company registrar ecitizen portal.
13.) Receive a Payment Receipt
You will get a receipt that you can download. There is also a notification of the application by the system. At this point you will have a company reference number to be confirmed on registration. The system will also show you the status of your application as under review. Once the application is completed the status will change into approved.
14.) Wait For Your Certificate of Incorporation in 3 Days
You can now wait for your certificate of incorporation in 2 to 4 days. The registration process will definitely not take more than a week in any case.
If the process of registrations seems involving or you are having difficulty in filling the forms, you can get an agent or company secretary to do it for you.
Find Company Registration Agents in Kenya, Contact us; call or whatsapp (254) 0722661827
If the process of registrations seems involving or you are having difficulty in filling the forms, you can get an agent or company secretary to do it for you.
Find Company Registration Agents in Kenya, Contact us; call or whatsapp (254) 0722661827
TYPES OF GENERAL SUPPLY COMPANIES YOU CAN START IN KENYA
Types of general supplies companies to register in Kenya
- Office Stationery company
- Building and Construction company
- Building and Road Construction Management
- Construction Materials Supply
- Office furniture and Equipment
- Consumer electronics and electrical
- Mobile Phones and accessories Supply
- Medical, Clinical and Diagnostics Equipment
- Beauty Services, Personal Care products and merchandise
- Printing, Branding and advertising Services
- Training and consultancy
- Plastic ware, cutlery and crockery
- Motor vehicle spare parts and tyres
- Small Civil works and maintenance and repairs
- Dry cereals, fruits, eggs, juices and fresh produce
- Bed linen, curtains and sanitary items
- Agricultural Equipment, Goods and Implements
- Computer accessories, toners and cartridges Supplies
- Foods and Beverages supply
- Commercial cleaning materials and cleaning services
- Garbage collection and others
- Gifts and Souvenirs Supply
Limited company registration form in kenya
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