Investor Facilitation
Every certificate and incentive your investment qualifies for.
Kenya rewards certain investments with certificates, zone licences and lower tax rates, for investors who apply, qualify and keep qualifying. Gate 03 identifies what your project can claim and secures it.
- Best for
- Capital-intensive projects, exporters, regional headquarters and financial firms.
- Where it sits
- Permits and people: weeks 8 to 20 of a typical engagement
- Outcome
- Certificates and licences in hand, with every incentive's conditions on record.
- We deal with
- Kenya Investment Authority, Special Economic Zones Authority, Export Processing Zones Authority, Nairobi International Financial Centre Authority
Everything Gate 03 covers.
The KenInvest Investment Certificate, zone licences and financial centre certification, with a clear schedule of the incentives your project can claim and the conditions attached.
KenInvest Investment Certificate
An application to the Kenya Investment Authority, built on a business case that shows the investment's value to Kenya. Foreign investors qualify from a proposed investment of USD 100,000.
Special Economic Zones
Selection of a zone and licensing as an SEZ enterprise, developer or operator with the Special Economic Zones Authority.
Export Processing Zones
Eligibility testing and licensing with the Export Processing Zones Authority for manufacturers and service exporters selling mainly outside the East African Community.
Nairobi International Financial Centre
Certification for financial services firms, holding companies, regional headquarters and qualifying start-ups.
Incentive mapping
A schedule of the tax and non-tax incentives your project can claim, prepared with our tax partners.
Government engagement
Letters of support, project facilitation and engagement with line ministries for larger projects.
Five steps, one accountable partner.
Every step is agreed in writing at the start, with a named partner who answers for it.
Eligibility review
We test your project against the certificate thresholds, zone rules and incentive conditions.
Business case
We build the investment case: capital, jobs, skills, technology, exports and local inputs.
Applications
We prepare and lodge the applications and handle every query from the authority.
Follow-up
We track each application to decision and collect the certificate or licence.
Keeping it
We log the conditions attached to each incentive so you continue to qualify.
Deliverables you can file, audit and act on.
Institutions we handle for you
- Investment Certificate from KenInvest
- SEZ, EPZ or NIFC licence or certificate where you qualify
- Incentive schedule with conditions and deadlines
- Application file ready for audit
About Investor Facilitation.
If your question is not here, a partner will answer it on a discovery call.
Ask us directlyIs the KenInvest certificate compulsory?
No. It is optional for most investors, but it brings practical benefits: it supports work permits for owners and key staff, and it gives you KenInvest's help with licences and approvals.
What do Special Economic Zone companies pay in tax?
SEZ enterprises, developers and operators pay corporate income tax at 10% for the first ten years and 15% for the next ten, against the standard 30%. Other incentives cover withholding tax, VAT and stamp duty.
Can a trading company use an EPZ?
The EPZ tax holiday is designed for manufacturers and service exporters that sell mainly outside the East African Community. A company focused on the Kenyan or regional market is usually better served by a Special Economic Zone or a standard entity.
Read before you decide.
The KenInvest Investment Certificate: who needs it and how to get it
What the certificate is, the USD 100,000 threshold for foreign investors, how KenInvest weighs an application and what the certificate unlocks.
SEZ or EPZ? Choosing the right zone in Kenya
How Kenya's Special Economic Zones and Export Processing Zones differ, what each offers in tax, and which one suits your business model.
Kenya work permits explained: classes, fees and documents
Which permit your people need, what it costs, what the Directorate asks for, and how to keep staff working while an application is processed.