church

Requirements and Procedure

The registration of churches in Kenya was suspended but has since

been lifted. The Registrar of Societies in Kenya provided new

guidelines with additional requirements on how to register a church

in Kenya. Under the Societies Act, all churches, ministries, and

religious-based organisations are registered. Before registration, a

security vetting process must be conducted. We offer reliable and

experienced church registration services if you plan to register a

church in Kenya.
The following requirements must be
fulfilled before registering a church in
Kenya:
1. Full names of officials, including the chairman, secretary, treasurer,

and assistant officials.

2. Postal addresses of each official.

3. Email addresses and telephone numbers of each official.

4. The proposed physical address of the church, including the plot

number, road, town, and county.

5. Copies of the national identity card of each official (passport for

foreign nationals).

6. Copies of each official’s PIN and current tax compliance certificates.

7. Passport photo of each official.

8. Qualification certificate, diploma or degree in theology from a

recognised institution of at least one of the officials.

9. Certificate of good conduct from the national police service of each

official.

10. An affidavit of each official indicating whether they are officials

or members of other religious societies and names of such

organisations.

11. An introduction or recommendation letter from a registered

religious society of good standing, signed by at least two officials of

such organisation, and a copy of the registration certificate of that

society.

12. A list of all the members of the society indicating the names, ID

numbers, telephone numbers, postal addresses, and email addresses

of such members.
To register a church in Kenya, you need to
follow this procedure:
1. Find a unique name for your organisation.

2. Draft a constitution for the society.

3. Fill out the proposed application forms (Form A – Application for

Registration of a Society Form and Form B – Notice of Registered

Office of a Society Form).

4. Attach all the required documents.

5. Apply for registration.

The time required to register a church in Kenya varies, but it takes 4

to 8 months on average. Various factors affect the clearance of

vetting, such as the number of officials to be vetted, their location, and

the location of the registered office.

An exempt society is exempted from strict supervision by the

Registrar of Societies, granted by the Minister or Attorney General.

Benefits of exemption include exemption from filing annual returns,

accounts, and a list of members.

You must have a registered organisation to run or preside over any

religious gathering in Kenya. All religious organisations in Kenya are

registered under the Registrar of Societies. If you plan to register your

church, follow the requirements and procedures outlined above.

If you have any questions or need further clarification about how to

register a church in Kenya, please don’t hesitate to email our Online

Business Lawyers at rna@raynessanalytica.com

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