The Registrar of Companies has struck more than 120 firms off the national register with immediate effect. Hundreds more are at risk of dissolution unless they contest within three months. This forms part of an ongoing cleanup targeting non-compliant businesses across various sectors.
The Registrar of Companies, Damaris Lukwo, announced in the Kenya Gazette on January 30 that over 120 companies have been struck off the register under Section 897(4) of the Companies Act. Their dissolution follows applications or administrative review processes, effectively terminating their legal existence as corporate entities from the date of publication.
Affected firms span sectors including construction, apparel manufacturing, financial services, logistics, hospitality, health services, and non-profits. “Pursuant to section 897 (4) of the Companies Act, it is notified for the information of the general public that the following companies are dissolved and their names have been struck off the Register of Companies with effect from the date of publication of this notice,” one notice stated.
This dissolution means the companies cannot trade, own property, or enter contracts as legal entities unless restored by court order. Separately, under Gazette Notices No. 1159, 1161, and 1163, a large number of companies are slated for intended dissolution pursuant to Section 897(3). These firms have a three-month window from the publication date to show cause why they should not be struck off.
The at-risk companies operate in areas such as construction, energy, real estate, manufacturing, logistics, technology, agriculture, healthcare, and entertainment, including several export processing zone firms and investment companies. “Pursuant to section 897 (3) of the Companies Act, the Registrar of Companies gives notice that the names of the companies specified hereunder shall be struck off from the Register of Companies at the expiry of three months from the date of publication of this Notice, and invites any person to show cause why the companies should not be struck off from the Register of Companies,” another notice read.
These notices are part of an ongoing statutory cleanup of the companies register, targeting dormant, non-compliant, or defunct firms that have failed to meet legal requirements, such as filing annual returns. Business owners are urged to check the Gazette notices carefully to confirm if their companies are affected and act promptly to avoid deregistration. This follows the Registrar's earlier announcement of closing over 700 companies under section 894(2). The Registrar can initiate dissolution in various circumstances, including failure to file annual returns or operating without proper documentation.
To reopen after dissolution, a company must apply for restoration via the High Court or directly to the Registrar, demonstrating it was operational at the time of striking off and that fewer than six years have passed since dissolution.