Kenya simplifies registration of companies

The Kenyan government on Friday moved to ease the way of doing business in the country by launching a one-day registration of companies system to improve efficiency.
The service, a component of a comprehensive Doing Business Improvement Programme, will improve transparency of enterprises by allowing access to the full list of directors serving any company registered in Kenya.
President Uhuru Kenyatta who launched the service said it allow Kenyans to search and reserve names for their businesses and companies from the comfort of their homes and offices.
"Today's simple process change will cut the time taken to pay stamp duty and register a company from 14 days to 24 hours," Kenyatta said.
He said his government is committed to automation and digitization of all its services to serve Kenyans better.
"We will not create jobs for our young people, if delays in service provision by government departments impede the efforts of innovative Kenyans," he added.
Kenyatta said the government has positioned the upgrading of the companies registry among other public services as one of its flagship reforms for rapid economic growth.
He said all registry services have been opened to mobile money to enable payments by M-Pesa, a mobile money transfer service.
"The gains from this reform cannot be overemphasized. The clearer records this reform will enable, and the speed with which payments for company registration can be processed, will sharply reduce delay in service provision as well as opportunities for corruption," he said.
The president said streamlining of processes will enable payment of stamp duty and registration fees at the same time, with the Registrar of Companies stamping and registering the documents simultaneously.
The President said all the three arms of the government are undergoing restructuring to meet the reasonable demand by Kenyans for better public service delivery.
Solicitor General Njee Muturi said 1.2 million files have so far been digitalized, adding that e-registry reforms will be extended to all stations.