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Beneficial Ownership Register (Form BOF1)

Form BOF1

Fill Kenya's Form BOF1 — declare the beneficial owners of a company to the Registrar.

Private by design — nothing you type is stored on our servers. Prepare it here, then complete the filing on eCitizen.

Details
Beneficial owners
beneficial owner 1
Lodged by & signature

The printed form leaves a line for your signature. You can also e-sign the PDF with our Sign a PDF tool.

Live preview · Form BOF1
FORM BOF1
REGISTER OF BENEFICIAL OWNERS
[Section 93A of the Companies Act, 2015]

Name of the company:  

Number of the company:  

To the Registrar of Companies

The above company hereby gives a notice in accordance with section 93A of the Companies Act, 2015 that the following person(s) is / are beneficial owner(s) of the company.

Beneficial owner 1
Date became a beneficial owner 
Full name 
National ID / passport number 
Personal Identification Number (PIN) 
Nationality 
Date of birth 
Residential address 
Postal address 
Email address 
Telephone number 
Occupation 
% of shares held (direct) 
% of voting rights (direct) 
Right to appoint/remove majority of board (Yes/No) 
Exercises significant influence or control (Yes/No) 
Lodged on behalf of the company by (name): 
ID / passport number: 
Address: 
Capacity: 
Date: 
Signature: 
Notes

Source of B.O. information: provided by the beneficial owner or their authorised representative.

A beneficial owner is a natural person who ultimately owns or controls the company (directly or indirectly).

Complete your filing on eCitizen (ecitizen.go.ke).
How to file Form BOF1
  1. 1. Prepare it here — fill every field, add each person, review the preview.
  2. 2. Download the PDF for your records (and sign it if you need a wet or e-signature).
  3. 3. Log in to eCitizen (BRS) and enter or upload the same details to file with the Registrar.

LeadAfrik helps you prepare the form quickly and correctly — the official filing is completed on eCitizen. Your details are never stored on our servers.

Form BOF1 — the beneficial ownership register

Form BOF1 declares a company's beneficial owners to the Registrar under section 93A of the Companies Act, 2015. A beneficial owner is the natural person who ultimately owns or controls the company — through shares, voting rights, the right to appoint or remove directors, or significant influence. Every Kenyan company must keep and file this.

Beneficial-ownership disclosure is mandatory and enforced: companies must maintain a register of beneficial owners and lodge it with the BRS on eCitizen, keeping it updated when ownership changes. It is part of Kenya's anti-money-laundering framework.

For each owner you record their identity (name, ID/passport, KRA PIN, nationality, date of birth), their contacts, and the nature of their control — the percentage of shares and voting rights, whether they can appoint or remove the board, and whether they exercise significant influence.

What Form BOF1 captures

  • ◆The company's name and number
  • ◆Each beneficial owner's full name, ID/passport, KRA PIN, nationality and date of birth
  • ◆Residential and postal address, email, phone and occupation
  • ◆The percentage of shares and voting rights held
  • ◆Whether the person can appoint/remove a majority of the board, or exercises significant influence
  • ◆Who is lodging the register on behalf of the company

Common mistakes to avoid

  • ✕Omitting someone who controls via voting rights or influence, not just shares
  • ✕An out-of-date register after ownership changes
  • ✕Missing a beneficial owner's KRA PIN, ID or date of birth
  • ✕Confusing legal shareholders with the natural persons who ultimately control

Questions

Who counts as a beneficial owner?

A natural person who ultimately owns or controls the company — typically someone holding, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the shares or voting rights, or who can appoint or remove a majority of the board, or who exercises significant influence or control.

Is filing BOF1 mandatory in Kenya?

Yes. Under section 93A and the Beneficial Ownership Information regulations, companies must keep a register of beneficial owners and lodge it with the Registrar, and update it when ownership changes. Non-compliance carries penalties.

Do I need each owner's KRA PIN and ID?

Yes — the register records each beneficial owner's national ID or passport, KRA PIN, nationality and date of birth, along with the nature of their control.

Is the beneficial ownership register public?

No. The register is held by the Registrar and access is restricted by law — it is not a public document like the company's basic details. Handle the information carefully.

How is this different from the list of shareholders?

Shareholders are the legal owners on paper; beneficial owners are the natural persons who ultimately own or control the company. Where a shareholder is itself a company, you look through to the individuals behind it.

The rest of the incorporation suite
All forms →Form CR1Form CR2Form CR8

Preparing your form is free. Downloading a clean PDF without the small watermark is KES 150 in Kenya (a one-off). This tool prepares the official form; it is not the eCitizen filing and is not legal advice — for anything unusual, take advice.