Licensing and Permits
Every permit your activity needs, from county hall to sector regulator.
A Kenyan company can be fully registered and still not allowed to trade. County permits apply to every business, and many activities need a licence from a sector regulator before the first sale. Gate 04 maps them, files them and keeps them current.
- Best for
- Any company that must be licensed before it can trade.
- Where it sits
- Permits and people: weeks 8 to 20 of a typical engagement
- Outcome
- Licensed to trade, with every renewal on a calendar.
- We deal with
- County governments, National Environment Management Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services
Everything Gate 04 covers.
County permits, environmental and standards approvals and sector licences, filed in the right order and logged with their renewal dates.
County permits
The single business permit, fire safety certificate, public health licence and signage approvals from the county where you operate.
Environmental approvals
Environmental impact assessment licences from NEMA for projects that require them.
Standards and safety
Product certification with the Kenya Bureau of Standards and workplace registration with the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services.
Sector licences
Applications to regulators such as the Central Bank of Kenya, the Communications Authority, the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, the Insurance Regulatory Authority and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board.
Inspection readiness
Preparation for regulator and county inspections, with document packs ready before the visit.
Renewals calendar
Every licence logged with its renewal date and conditions, and renewed before it lapses.
Five steps, one accountable partner.
Every step is agreed in writing at the start, with a named partner who answers for it.
Licence matrix
We list every permit and licence your activity needs, with its regulator, conditions and sequence.
Applications
We prepare each application with its supporting documents and file it.
Regulator follow-up
We answer queries, attend meetings and track every application to decision.
Inspection readiness
We prepare your premises and records for inspections before the visit.
Renewals
We log every licence and renew it before it expires.
Deliverables you can file, audit and act on.
Institutions we handle for you
- Licence matrix for your activity
- Filed applications and regulator correspondence
- Issued permits and licences
- Renewal calendar
About Licensing and Permits.
If your question is not here, a partner will answer it on a discovery call.
Ask us directlyWhich licences does my business need?
That depends on your activity, location and premises. Every business needs county permits. Regulated activities such as finance, telecoms, energy, health, food, construction and transport need sector licences as well. Our licence matrix lists them in the order they must be obtained.
Do licences carry ownership conditions?
Some do. The ICT sector's 30% local shareholding rule was removed in 2023, but other regulated sectors still set ownership, capital or residency requirements. We check every condition that applies to your activity before you commit.
Can you handle renewals?
Yes. We keep a calendar of every permit and licence, prepare renewals in advance and file them before expiry. Renewals form part of our Compliance and Continuity service.
Read before you decide.
Sector licensing in Kenya: which regulator licenses what
A regulator-by-regulator index for foreign companies: who licenses finance, telecoms, energy, health, food, construction, transport and more.
Kenya's compliance calendar for foreign-owned companies
Every recurring filing a Kenyan company faces, from the 9th-of-the-month payroll remittances to annual returns, permit renewals and data protection certificates.
How to register a company in Kenya as a foreigner
A subsidiary or a branch, the documents you need, the order of the filings and what comes after the certificate.