Ruto: Business registration cost slashed to Sh11,000 to boost entrepreneurship

Ruto: Business registration cost slashed to Sh11,000 to boost entrepreneurship
Ruto: Business registration cost slashed to Sh11,000 to boost entrepreneurship - President William Ruto speaking after he assented to the Finance Bill, 2026 at State House, Nairobi on June 23, 2026. (Photo: PCS)
President William Ruto speaking after he assented to the Finance Bill, 2026 at State House, Nairobi on June 23, 2026. (Photo: PCS)

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President Ruto said the government has also digitised thousands of public services to reduce bureaucracy and improve access for entrepreneurs.

The cost of registering a business in Kenya has dropped from Sh50,000 to about Sh11,000 as part of government efforts to encourage entrepreneurship and formalise more businesses, President William Ruto has announced.
Speaking during the 2026 World MSME Day celebrations at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Ruto said the reforms are aimed at creating a more conducive business environment for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which make up the overwhelming majority of businesses in the country.
Ruto said the government has also digitised thousands of public services to reduce bureaucracy and improve access for entrepreneurs.

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"We began by clearing the path, creating a State Department for MSMEs to give the sector a permanent home and taking government to the phone. Today, more than 25,800 public services are available on the eCitizen platform, while the cost of registering a company has fallen from Sh50,000 to about Sh11,000," he said.
He further announced that groups can now register, aggregate and trade as one for just Sh550, while the government is working with counties to replace multiple permits with a single unified business licence.
The President said the reforms are designed to lower the cost of doing business and accelerate the growth of MSMEs, which account for 98 per cent of all businesses, employ more than 90 per cent of workers in the non-farm sector and contribute over 40 per cent of Kenya's GDP.

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"When we speak about the future of Kenya's economy, we are speaking, above all, about the future of our MSMEs. Their success is our success. Their growth is our transformation," he said.
Ruto added that the government considers MSMEs a key pillar of its economic transformation agenda, adding that strengthening the sector will create jobs, stimulate innovation and lay the foundation for Kenya's industrialisation.
He urged entrepreneurs to take advantage of the reforms to formalise and grow their businesses, saying small enterprises will remain at the centre of the country's development strategy.

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