How to Register a Sole-Proprietor Business in Kenya

A Sole proprietor business is a business where the owner has liability over all loses and profits in the business. What makes the business appealing is that it's easy to start. Also, it has little government regulation. If you have a sole proprietor business in Kenya that you would like to register, here is how to go about it.

Search your business name

Once you have done your research and brainstormed adequately and you have come up with a business name, now it's the time to research the business name. Doing so is easy. All you need to do is to write a letter to the registrar-general asking him to confirm if your chosen business name has been used by another person.

You can send the letter through postal mail or you can drop it at the registrar's office, which is in Sheria House. In addition to the letter, you also need to pay a fee of KES.100 and wait for three days for the staff to search for the business name.

Once the search is over, and your name is unique, you need to go to back to Sheria House and collect an approval letter.

Fill your particulars in BN2 form

When the business name cleared, you should collect BN2 form from the same office (registrar of companies' office). You can also download the form from registrar of companies' website. The form requires that you fill your particulars. The particulars you need to fill include:

a) Nature of your business

b) Your business address (plot number, name of the street or road, and the name of the building where your business is housed)

c) Your postal address

d) Address of any business branch under the same business name

e) Your full names

f) Your nationality

g) Age

h) Gender

i) Your place of residence

j) Any other businesses that you engage in

k) Your signature

Take the form back to Sheria House

Once you have filled all the information, you should take the form back to Sheria House. All you need to do is to drop the form at the registrar's office and pay a fee of KES. 800.

The registration process takes seven days. After seven days, you should head back to Sheria House and collect your business registration certificate. Once you have collected the certificate, you will have registered a new business!

Points to note

If you would like to change any of your business particulars, you can do so at the registrar of companies' office. Here you need to fill notice of change form, usually called BN4 FORM.

If you would like to file for cessation of your business, you can do so at the same registrar of companies' office by filling notice of cessation form (BN6 FORM).

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