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How to Register a Company in Kenya in 2026: Steps and Fees

7 min read

A step-by-step guide to registering a limited company in Kenya in 2026, with BRS fees checked on the official portal, the eCitizen steps, KRA PIN and VAT rules.

To register a private limited company in Kenya in 2026, you reserve a name and then file your incorporation online with the Business Registration Service (BRS) on eCitizen. The official BRS fee for a private limited company is KES 10,650, and BRS lists 3 to 5 days to process a complete application. Your certificate now arrives as a digital copy by email.

Most of the work is filling in forms carefully, and all of it happens online. I have set the steps out in the order you will do them, and I checked every fee and rule on the official BRS and KRA pages on 5 November 2026. Fees change, so treat the eCitizen invoice as the final word.

Which business structure should I register in Kenya?

BRS registers several kinds of business. These are the four most founders choose between, with the fees on the BRS Companies Registry fee schedule:

  • Business name (sole proprietor or partnership): KES 950. Quick and cheap, and you and the business are the same legal person, so your own assets carry the risk.
  • Private limited company: KES 10,650. A separate legal person with limited liability. Banks, investors and corporate clients usually expect this.
  • Limited liability partnership (LLP): KES 25,000. Common for professional firms.
  • Company limited by guarantee: KES 10,000. The usual structure for non-profits.

If you plan to raise money, hire staff or sign contracts with larger companies, register a private limited company. The rest of this guide covers that route.

What do I need before I start?

  • An eCitizen account. You reach BRS through eCitizen.
  • National IDs or passports, KRA PINs and passport photos for every director and shareholder.
  • Two or three company names, in order of preference.
  • Your share split, agreed in writing with your co-founders, and the nominal share capital you will declare.
  • A registered office address: building, street and town.
  • Details of your beneficial owners, meaning the people who ultimately own or control the company.
  • M-Pesa or a card to pay on the portal.

How do I register a company in Kenya step by step?

Step 1: Search and reserve your name

Log in to eCitizen, open the Business Registration Service and choose name search and reservation. BRS checks your options against existing names and its rules. Under the BRS naming rules, a private company name must end in "Limited" or "Ltd", cannot start with "Kenya", cannot match an existing company or reserved name, and cannot use words such as "co-operative", "society" or "trade union". Check registered trademarks too. The search fee is not on the BRS fee schedule, so confirm the amount on the eCitizen invoice before you pay.

Step 2: File the incorporation forms

Once a name is approved, start the private limited company registration from the same BRS dashboard. BRS lists the documents for this service as forms CR1, CR2 and CR8 plus a statement of nominal capital. In plain terms: the application, the company's constitution, the registered office details and your declared share capital. You add each director and shareholder, upload their documents and declare your beneficial owners.

Step 3: Pay and wait for approval

The BRS fee for a private limited company is KES 10,650. Your final invoice can differ, for example with the share capital you declare, so pay the amount eCitizen shows at checkout. BRS lists 3 to 5 days to process a complete application. A typo in an ID or PIN number, or a missing document, sends the file back to you and adds time.

Step 4: Download your certificate and CR12

BRS stopped issuing physical company certificates in February 2026. Your Certificate of Incorporation comes by email and stays in your eCitizen account, and the digital copy is legally valid (Techweez). The same upgrade, BRS Version II, lets you change directors and transfer shares online. When a bank or client asks for a CR12, the official record of your directors and shareholders, request an official company search. BRS lists it at KES 650.

How do I get a KRA PIN for my company?

Your company needs its own KRA PIN to open a bank account, issue invoices and file returns. Some guides say the PIN now comes with incorporation. I could not confirm that on KRA or BRS, so check your eCitizen documents first. If there is no company PIN, follow KRA's steps on iTax:

  1. Choose New PIN Registration.
  2. Select Non-Individual and the online form.
  3. Fill in the company details, tax obligations and directors.
  4. Upload the business registration details, the directors' PINs and their national IDs.
  5. Submit and keep the acknowledgement receipt.

KRA says you must register within 30 days of becoming liable for a tax (KRA PIN registration). For VAT, you must register once your taxable sales reach, or you expect them to reach, KES 5 million in a year. Below that, voluntary registration is possible on conditions (KRA VAT page).

What do I do after the company is registered?

  • Open a business bank account. Banks commonly ask for the certificate, CR12, company PIN, a board resolution and the directors' IDs and PINs. Ask your bank for its exact list.
  • Register as an employer before your first hire. Social Health Insurance Fund deductions go through the SHA employer portal, and you also register with NSSF.
  • Get your county business permit. Fees depend on your county, activity and premises, so check with your county government.
  • Get any sector licence you need. Payments, lending, food and health businesses each answer to their own regulator.
  • Keep your records current. BRS publishes a guide to updating beneficial ownership on BRS Version II and a compliance check that lists companies the Registrar suspects may not be operating. Search your company name there once a year.

If you want a desk with stable internet and power backup for an afternoon of forms, a Hackhouse day pass is KES 1,000, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Our events calendar shows what else is on at the house.

What mistakes slow company registration down?

  • Trading in your personal name for months before you register.
  • Leaving the share split as a verbal agreement between co-founders. Changing it after filing means more paperwork and possibly stamp duty.
  • Typos in ID or PIN numbers, which send the filing back.
  • Clicking links that promise free registration. In August 2026 BRS warned that a "free business registration" offer circulating on social media was fake and that it had no part in it (Kenyans.co.ke). Pay only inside eCitizen.

Key facts

  • Private limited company: KES 10,650 in BRS fees, 3 to 5 days to process.
  • Business name: KES 950, listed at 1 day.
  • Official company search (for your CR12): KES 650.
  • Everything is filed on eCitizen, and certificates have been digital since February 2026.
  • Company KRA PIN: apply on iTax if it is not in your eCitizen documents, within 30 days of becoming liable for a tax.
  • VAT registration is required at KES 5 million in taxable sales a year.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to register a company in Kenya in 2026?

The BRS fee for a private limited company is KES 10,650, plus the name search fee shown on eCitizen. The invoice can vary, so pay what the portal shows.

How long does company registration take in Kenya?

BRS lists 3 to 5 days for a private limited company once the full application is in. The name search comes before that, so allow extra time for it.

Can I register a company in Kenya without a lawyer?

Yes. The whole process runs on eCitizen and you fill in the forms on the portal. A lawyer or company secretary helps when you have several shareholders, foreign directors or investor terms to write into your articles.

Do directors need KRA PINs to register a company?

Kenyan directors and shareholders are asked for their personal KRA PINs during the filing. The company then needs its own PIN before it can trade, invoice or open a bank account.

Sources

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