Company Incorporation in Kenya
Registration of a Kenyan business vehicle with the BRS Companies Registry, entirely online through eCitizen. The default is a private limited company under the Companies Act 2015 — minimum one director and one shareholder (which may be the same person, and at least one director must be a natural person), a maximum of 50 members, restricted share transfers and a KES 10,650 registration fee paid on eCitizen by M-PESA or card. A public limited company carries the same headline fee but needs two directors and a qualified company secretary; an LLP under the Limited Liability Partnership Act 2011 is KES 25,000; a sole trader's business name is KES 950; and a foreign parent wanting a presence without a subsidiary registers a foreign company (branch) for KES 7,550. There is no general statutory Kenyan-resident-director requirement for a private company, but the company needs a physical registered office in Kenya and, in practice, a local KRA PIN or local contact to complete eCitizen onboarding, open a bank account and register for taxes. Beneficial-ownership information is lodged with BRS after incorporation. Comriq's 3–10 business-day window is a delivery estimate, not a BRS service standard — the registry publishes no timeline.
3–10 business days
KES
Compare the structures
Every column is a vehicle you can actually incorporate here, and each is bought on its own terms. Every fact carries where it was read: on the authority’s own page, or — marked Indicative — on a filing platform or publication we name and link. Anything we could not read anywhere is marked Pending verification and confirmed with the authority before you pay.
| Private limited company (company limited by shares) — Companies Act 2015The default vehicle for SMEs, foreign subsidiaries, holding companies and most trading businesses — one director and one shareholder minimum, capped at 50 members | Public limited company — Companies Act 2015Larger and regulated businesses, and companies intending to offer shares to the public or list on the Nairobi Securities Exchange — two directors and a qualified company secretary | Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) — Limited Liability Partnership Act 2011Professional partnerships (law, accounting, consulting) and joint ventures wanting limited liability with partnership governance — two partners minimum plus a manager who is a natural person | Sole proprietorship / business name — Registration of Business Names ActIndividual traders and freelancers wanting the cheapest registered form and accepting unlimited personal liability — no separate legal personality | Branch of a foreign company (registered foreign company) — Companies Act 2015 Part XXXVIIA foreign parent wanting a registered Kenyan presence without incorporating a subsidiary — not a separate legal entity, so the parent carries the liability | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum owners | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Maximum owners | 50 | Pending verification | Pending verification | 1 | Pending verification |
| Minimum directors | 1 | 2 | Pending verification | Pending verification | Pending verification |
| Liability | limited | limited | limited | unlimited | unlimited |
| Foreign ownership | Yes | Yes | Yes | Pending verification | Yes |
| Tax treatment | Separate taxable person; resident company income tax at 30% on taxable profit. Subject to instalment tax, and to VAT/PAY… | Same 30% resident company income tax as the private company; listed companies may access a reduced rate for a period aft… | An LLP is generally treated as transparent/partnership for tax - partners are taxed on their share of profits; the LLP i… | Not a separate legal person - business income is taxed in the proprietor's hands at individual (graduated PAYE-style) in… | A branch is a permanent establishment of the foreign company; taxed on Kenyan-source profit. KRA's official companies-an… |
| Audit required | Pending verification | Yes | No | No | Pending verification |
| Audit threshold | Companies Act 2015 audit-exemption rules exist for small/dormant companies but the exact turnover/balance-sheet/employee… | A public company is required to have its accounts audited regardless of size. | Pending verification | Pending verification | Pending verification |
| Annual compliance | Medium | High | Medium | Low | Medium |
| Typical use | Foreign parent's Kenyan subsidiary, local trading company or SaaS/consulting business; incorporated online via eCitizen/… | Companies raising capital from the public or listing on the NSE; regulated sectors requiring a public form. | Law firms, accounting firms and consultancies wanting a separate legal person with limited liability but partnership int… | Local sole trader, shopkeeper or freelancer registering a business name via BRS/eCitizen. | Foreign company registering a branch to trade in Kenya while the head office remains abroad. |
What we will need from you
Upload these once. They are stored encrypted and reused across every service you buy from us.
Proposed company name(s) for search and reservation on eCitizen
The official search (companies) is KES 650; the reserved name is then carried into the registration application.
For each director and each shareholder: full name, national ID (Kenyans) or passport (foreign nationals), KRA PIN (Kenyan resident directors and shareholders), passport photo, postal and physical address and occupation
A private company needs a minimum of one director and one shareholder, which may be the same person.
For a foreign individual director or shareholder: a certified or notarised copy of the passport
For a body-corporate shareholder: certificate of incorporation and board resolution
Generally certified or apostilled where issued abroad.
Registered office physical address in Kenya (building, street and postal address)
Statement of nominal (share) capital and the shareholding split
Beneficial-ownership information for the BRS beneficial-ownership register
Each natural person holding 10% or more of the shares or voting rights, or otherwise exercising control; lodged with BRS on Form BOF1 after incorporation.
Cost breakdown
Our fee and the government’s are always separate lines. Government fees are passed through at exactly what the authority charges — we add nothing to them.
| Company official search / name reservation (companies)VERIFIED on the BRS Companies Registry fee schedule: official search (companies) KES 650. Name search and reservation is now integrated into the eCitizen registration flow. | KES 650Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Registration of a private limited company (limited by shares)one line of this schedule appliesVERIFIED on the BRS fee schedule: Private Limited Company KES 10,650. Paid on eCitizen via M-PESA, debit or credit card. | KES 10,650Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Registration of a public limited companyone line of this schedule appliesVERIFIED on the BRS fee schedule: Public Limited Company KES 10,650 — the same headline fee as a private company. | KES 10,650Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Registration of a Limited Liability Partnershiponly if it appliesVERIFIED on the BRS fee schedule: Limited Liability Partnership KES 25,000. | KES 25,000Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Registration of a foreign company (branch)only if it appliesVERIFIED on the BRS fee schedule: Foreign Company KES 7,550. | KES 7,550Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Registration of a business name (search and registration combined)only if it appliesVERIFIED on the BRS fee schedule: Registration of Business name KES 950, with search and registration combined into a single payment. | KES 950Read at source on 2026-09-10 |
| Comriq professional fee | Fixed fee within 1 business day |
These are the authority’s published lines. Which of them apply depends on your filing — a schedule by headcount, capital or entity type is one line, not all of them — and the applicable line is confirmed before payment, at cost.
How it runs
You will see these exact stages update in your client portal as we progress.
eCitizen Account
Register on ecitizen.go.ke and open the BRS Business Registration Service; a foreign applicant may need a local KRA PIN or a local agent to complete onboarding.
Name Search & Reservation
Search and reserve the proposed company name (KES 650 official search); the reserved name carries into the registration application.
Application Filed
Complete the online registration form — directors, shareholders, registered office, nominal capital and articles — and pay the KES 10,650 registration fee via M-PESA or card.
Company KRA PIN
Register the incorporated company for a KRA PIN on iTax — the gateway to VAT, PAYE, instalment tax and eTIMS.
Beneficial-Ownership Register Lodged
File the company's beneficial-ownership information with BRS on Form BOF1 within the statutory period after the register is prepared.
Ready to start?
This one is priced to your situation — most of what we do needs a local filing agent, so we scope it rather than guess. Tell us the specifics and we come back with a fixed quote and a confirmed timeline, within one business day.
Not sure this is the right service? A paid expert call is credited against your order.
Verified September 2026
Requirements and statutory fees are set by Business Registration Service (BRS), Companies Registry — filed via the eCitizen portal and change without notice. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Your engagement letter and quote are the binding documents.