To check whether a company is registered in Kenya, identify its legal name or registration number and request an Official Search from the Business Registration Service (BRS), commonly called a CR12.
RVS Kenya assists with company records searches, director and shareholder checks, interpretation of registry particulars and certified company document requests. Tell us whether you need an official record or a professional verification summary for a proposed transaction.
Quick Answers: Company Search in Kenya
A company registry search establishes what the registry records. Additional checks address the particular risks of your transaction.
The BRS application guide lists KES 650 for an Official Search. RVS professional company records verification starts from KES 55,000, with the scope and disbursements confirmed by quotation.
Provide the registered company name or registration number, your reason for the search and the document or verification output required.
Match the legal entity, obtain the official record, compare relevant particulars and identify discrepancies or checks still required.
BRS lists instant searches for verified companies and 3–5 days for non-verified companies. Professional review and certified copies have a separate, scope-dependent completion time.
Company Search Fees and Requirements
The official search fee pays for the BRS registry output. RVS professional fees cover the agreed verification work, interpretation and reporting. The quotation identifies each charge before work begins.
| Service | Cost | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| BRS Official Search / CR12 | KES 650 | Government search fee stated in the BRS application guide. Payable separately from RVS professional fees. |
| Professional company records verification | From KES 55,000 | Company identity matching, official-record review, checks of recorded directors and shareholders, comparison with documents supplied and an agreed verification summary. |
| Certified company documents | Quoted per request | Assistance obtaining the specified certified record, subject to registry availability and requirements. |
| Broader corporate due diligence | Quoted by scope | Additional operational, litigation, reputation or transaction-risk checks through our due diligence service. |
Fee source checked 22 September 2026: BRS Official Search application guide. Confirm the amount shown by the portal before payment.
What the Verification Summary Covers
The agreed summary should make the evidence and its limits clear:
- Entity matched: the company name and registration number used for the search.
- Records reviewed: the official output, its date and the supporting documents considered.
- Findings: recorded directors, shareholders and other particulars relevant to the agreed scope.
- Discrepancies: differences between the registry output and documents supplied.
- Limitations and next steps: unavailable information, unresolved questions and further checks recommended.
How RVS Reads a CR12 Before a Transaction
A registry extract is more useful when it is read against the transaction you are considering. Where the agreed scope requires it, RVS reviews apparent changes, inconsistencies and ownership or address questions before stating what the available record does—and does not—support.
| CR12 finding | What we check next | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate shareholder appears | Identify the ownership chain and determine whether further ownership or beneficial-ownership verification is required and lawfully available. | The registered shareholder may not identify the natural person who ultimately owns or controls the entity. |
| Recently changed directors | Compare the dates and available supporting filings or documents relevant to the change. | A current transaction should not rely on an older record without understanding later changes. |
| Share totals or ownership details do not reconcile | Compare the registry output with the supplied records and identify what further filing or document is needed to explain the difference. | Unresolved inconsistencies can affect reliance on stated ownership or control. |
| Registered office differs from the supplied address | Distinguish the statutory registered office from the address represented as the physical or operational location. | A registered office does not by itself prove active trading premises. |
| Charge or encumbrance is shown | Identify the relevant entry and, where required, obtain or review the underlying charge information available for the assignment. | A charge should not be treated as a complete debt or solvency assessment without supporting context. |
| Old CR12 supplied for a current transaction | Consider obtaining a fresh Official Search and compare it with the earlier extract. | An older extract only records the position available when it was issued. |
This review is evidence-led. A mismatch or unusual entry is a prompt for clarification or further verification; it is not, by itself, a finding of fraud, insolvency or misconduct.
Requirements to Start a Company Search
Start with the registered company name or registration number. Also send:
- Your name, email and phone or WhatsApp number.
- The purpose of the search, required output and deadline.
- Any certificate, previous CR12, invoice or contract you want compared with the registry record.
- For certified copies, the exact document and intended use. We will confirm any additional authorisation or company-side information required.
How to Check and Verify a Company in Kenya
Use the company's exact legal name or registration number to request a BRS Official Search (CR12). Compare the result with the entity named on the proposed contract, invoice or other documents.
How to Get an Official Search Online
- Sign in to eCitizen and select BRS.
Choose the Business Registration Service application area. - Select the Official Search service.
The BRS guide describes this as Official Search, formerly CR12, for private limited companies. - Enter the registration name or number.
Select the matching company. Check its identity carefully where names are similar. - Complete the requester details.
For a verified company, the guide asks for your postal address and code, email and phone number. Save, continue and confirm the application details. - Pay the displayed fee and obtain the output.
The guide states KES 650. Follow the portal's current instructions and check the issued document's particulars and date.
Source: BRS step-by-step Official Search guide. It describes the result as computer generated and addressed to the individual or business account making the application.
How RVS Kenya Assists
Send us the company details and the decision you need to make. We confirm the appropriate record and scope, identify the entity, arrange the agreed search and review the result. Where reporting is included, we explain relevant matches, discrepancies and limitations.
Processing Time and Non-Verified Records
The BRS fee schedule lists an instant Official Search for verified companies and 3–5 days for non-verified companies. The application guide confirms that automated searches depend on verified company records. These are registry service timings; they do not guarantee completion of an RVS report or a certified-copy request within the same period.
CR12 vs CR13: What Is the Difference?
A CR12 is the Official Search for a registered company, while a CR13 is the Official Search for a registered business name. They are not interchangeable. If you are verifying a limited company, request the company Official Search. If you are checking a registered business name, use the relevant business-name search and match the proprietor or proprietors shown to the transaction documents.
What a CR12 Shows and Its Limitations
A CR12 or Official Search provides company particulars held by the Companies Registry. Read the fields actually shown on the issued extract and note its date. The available particulars and supporting records determine what can be confirmed.
| Field or record detail | How to read it | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
| Company name and number | Identify the legal entity searched. | Match both against the certificate, invoice or contract; similar names alone are insufficient. |
| Directors | Identify the directors recorded in the available registry output. | Check whether the names match the documents or representations supplied. |
| Shareholders and shareholding | Read the recorded holders, number of shares and class where shown. | Check the totals and any corporate shareholders; distinguish registered ownership from ultimate control. |
| Share capital and nominal value | Interpret the number, class and nominal value of shares where those fields appear. | Keep nominal capital separate from amounts paid up, business value and financial strength. |
| Registered office and status | Read the particulars expressly recorded. | A registered address alone does not demonstrate a functioning office or trading activity. |
| Charges or debentures | Review any entries shown and obtain relevant supporting records when required. | Do not treat the extract as a complete list of debts or a solvency assessment. |
What Do Share Capital and Nominal Value Mean on a CR12?
Nominal value is the stated face value of a share. Read it together with the share count and class. Section 14 of Kenya's Companies Act distinguishes the number and nominal value of shares, their class rights and the amounts to be paid or left unpaid. The nominal figure alone does not establish market value or available cash.
Worked Example: Fictional Figures
If the record shows 1,000 issued ordinary shares with a nominal value of KES 100 each, their aggregate nominal value is KES 100,000.
A holder of 600 of those 1,000 shares holds 60% of that share class by number. Voting and other rights depend on the class rights and relevant company documents. These fictional figures do not establish money in the bank, payment for the shares or the business's sale value.
Legal reference: Companies Act, section 14: statement of capital and initial shareholdings. This is a reading example; the actual extract and relevant filings control each review.
What a CR12 Does Not Prove
An Official Search is a starting point. It does not, by itself, establish an active physical operation, financial strength, tax compliance, reputation or the absence of litigation. The registry may also need updating following changes to a company.
For further checks, see corporate due diligence in Kenya, court records and litigation checks or verification of documents supplied by a company.
CR12 vs Certificate of Incorporation: What Is the Difference?
A CR12 and a certificate of incorporation serve different purposes. The certificate evidences incorporation. An Official Search reports the company particulars available from the registry when the search is issued.
| Document or service | Purpose | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Official Search / CR12 | Check the company's recorded particulars, including directors and shareholders where shown. | Does not provide a complete operational or financial assessment. |
| Certificate of Incorporation | Evidence that the company was incorporated; a certified copy may be requested by a recipient. | Does not establish the current directors or shareholders. |
| Professional verification summary | Interpret agreed records, compare supplied documents and identify relevant discrepancies. | Coverage is defined by the instruction, available evidence and reported limitations. |
Certified Company Records and Further Verification
RVS Kenya assists with requests for certified incorporation documents and other available company records. Confirm the receiving organisation's document requirements before ordering, especially for banking, tenders or overseas use.
Certified Copy Requirements
- The registered company name and registration number, if available.
- The exact document, such as a certificate of incorporation, change-of-name certificate or certificate of compliance.
- The intended use, recipient and deadline.
- Any requirement for certification, notarisation, legalisation or courier delivery.
Document availability, access requirements and additional processing are confirmed for the specific request. For use abroad, see our document attestation services.
Company-Document Mismatch Checklist
When comparing an extract with documents supplied by a company, check:
- Identity: do the company name and registration number match across the documents?
- Dates: is an old extract being used to support a current transaction?
- People and shares: are differing directors, shareholders or share totals explained by supporting records?
- Address: is a registered office being presented as proof of physical trading operations?
- Record type: is a business-name registration, name-reservation result or incorporation certificate being presented as a current company search?
A discrepancy is a reason to investigate and seek supporting evidence; it is not, on its own, a finding of fraud.
When Further Due Diligence Is Needed
For investment, lending, acquisitions, major supplier commitments or suspected impersonation, define the additional risks before commissioning further checks. Our due diligence service covers broader assignments beyond registry records, subject to the agreed scope and lawful access.
Official Sources and Professional Review
Sources checked and content updated: 22 September 2026. Government fees, portal instructions and registry processing times may change. The stated BRS timings are published service guidance; the RVS fee is a professional service starting price.
- BRS Official Search guide: application steps, KES 650 fee, verified records and the addressee of the output.
- BRS Companies Registry fee schedule: published services and timing. The page contains duplicate fee entries, so confirm the payable amount in the portal.
- Companies Act, 2015 (Kenya Law): section 14 on capital and initial shareholdings; section 3 on beneficial ownership.
- Business Registration Service: official registry information and support.
- KenInvest eProcedures: Official Search (CR12).
Professional reviewer: Edward Omondi, Legal & Corporate Verification Consultant, Kenya. See the reviewer profile below.
Need a Kenyan Company Search or Verification Report?
Send your name, email and phone or WhatsApp number, together with the company name or registration number, your reason for checking, required output and deadline. We will confirm the appropriate scope, price and expected completion time.
Phone: +254180309496
Email: info@rvskenya.com
Office: KOSE Heights, Argwings Kodhek Road, Kilimani, Nairobi
Website: www.rvskenya.com
FAQs: Company Search & CR12 in Kenya
How much does a company records search in Kenya cost?
The BRS Official Search application guide states KES 650. RVS professional company records verification starts from KES 55,000, depending on scope. The quotation separately confirms professional fees, government disbursements, applicable taxes and additional document services.
What do I need to start a company records search?
Provide the registered company name or registration number, your contact details, the purpose of the search, the required output and your deadline. Send any existing certificate, CR12 or other document you want compared.
What does a CR12 or Official Search show?
It reports the company particulars available from the registry. Read the company identity, directors, shareholders, address and any share-capital, status or charge information actually shown on the issued extract. Additional records may be needed to resolve missing fields or questions.
How long does a CR12 search take in Kenya?
BRS lists instant searches for verified companies and 3–5 days for non-verified companies. Certified copies and professional verification reports have separate timings depending on the request, registry availability and agreed scope.
Can RVS Kenya help with certified copies of incorporation documents?
Yes. Send the company name or registration number, exact document and intended use. We confirm availability, any additional requirements and the quotation before proceeding.
Can I verify a company without the registration number?
A search can begin with the registered company name. The registration number is particularly useful where names are similar. An uncertain match must be resolved before attributing a record to the company you intend to deal with.
Is a CR12 enough for company due diligence?
The appropriate scope depends on the transaction. A CR12 is useful for registry particulars but does not establish operations, financial strength, tax compliance or the absence of disputes. Broader checks require an additional instruction.
How recent should a CR12 be?
Check the receiving bank, tender authority or other organisation’s stated requirements. Obtain a fresh search where the transaction is current or changes are suspected. An earlier extract records what was available when issued; it does not establish that no changes have occurred since.
Does a shareholder list identify every beneficial owner?
Not necessarily. The Companies Act defines beneficial ownership by reference to the natural person who ultimately owns or controls the entity. A recorded shareholder may be another company or a nominee. Further ownership analysis requires the relevant evidence and lawful access.
Is a company name search the same as an Official Search?
No. Checking a proposed name for registration serves a different purpose from checking an existing company’s registry particulars. Tell us whether you are forming a business or verifying a company that already exists.
What is the difference between a CR12 and CR13 in Kenya?
A CR12 is the Official Search for a registered company. A CR13 is the Official Search for a registered business name. Use the search that matches the legal form of the entity you are checking; a business name and a limited company are not the same registry record.
Content updated and sources checked: 22 September 2026. Official fees, BRS/eCitizen workflows and registry requirements may change.