A handful of Kenyans have opted to go to or are in the verge of joining the entrepreneurship life and many have started their own companies. Before, it was quite the cumbersome task – carrying loads of papers and invoices for manual registration at the Registrar of Companies but this has since been made easier via an online process. You can choose to either do it at any Huduma Center countrywide or via the eCitizen website.
For you to use the eCitizen platform, you need to have registered on it which is a simple process of inputing your I.D and phone number which will then verify your details and ask you to create an account. Once you log in, select the Business Registration Service option
The first step is to conduct a name search so as to make a reservation of a unique business identity and nature description. There are a couple of rules you have to adhere to, for example, Single words are not accepted (Ahadi) and names starting with the word “Kenya” are only reserved for the government. The Name Search Fee is Kshs 100 and Convenience Fee is Kshs 50.
Once you are in the Business Registration Service, click on Make Application. It will take you a section where you will click on Business Name Registration. In the next step, you will need to choose the type of business you want to register plus your preferred business name.
If say you want to register a sole proprietorship or partnership, then choose Business Name Registration and if you want to register Private Limited Company then choose that option and so on.
The name search is processed within a day and only one name can be submitted at a time. It will then be processed during working days (Monday to Friday) between 8am to 5pm excluding public holidays.
Once the business name has been approved, you can then be allowed to register your business. The name search approval is however not communicated via email.
Requirements for registration
Company
1. Fill company registration form CR1
2. Fill details of directors and shareholders and upload scanned copies of I.D. card/passport, KRA PIN certificate and recent coloured passport photograph. Directors/shareholders have to be registered on the iTax platform.
3. Fill shareholding details.
4. Fill a notification of directors’ residential address – Form CR8.
5. Fill the statement of nominal capital.
Note: you can now register a company with one person as both the shareholder and director.
Registration takes about a week and certificate will be available on the eCitizen platform for download.
Partnership and Sole proprietorship
1. Fill BN2 form
2. Upload ID card/passport, KRA PIN certificate and recent coloured passport photographs of sole proprietor or partners as the case might be.
Registration takes a week and certificate will be available on the eCitizen platform for download.
Costs
- Name search – Ksh. 150
- Company registration – Ksh. 10,650
- Partnership and Sole proprietorship – Ksh. 1,000
