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

P.S. It is time to bring your church or religious organisation to another level; start to optimise and streamline them today by accessing the free and customisable professional-grade templates from the following links; Church Directory Templates and Church Bulletin Templates.