CR12 in Kenya: what it is, how to get one from the BRS and how recent it must be for a tender

What it is

A CR12 is a letter from the Registrar of Companies, issued by the Business Registration Service, that confirms a company is on the register and lists its directors and shareholders and their shareholding as recorded. It is an official search result, so it reflects the register on the day it was issued, and it is signed or sealed by the Registrar.

Procuring entities use it to see who owns and controls the bidder: to check AGPO eligibility, to detect conflicts of interest and related bidders, and to confirm the people who sign the tender forms are directors.

Who must have it

Every company that bids, because almost every tender lists it as a mandatory document. It is also required when you apply for AGPO, register with NCA, open a bank account or apply for a bond. A sole trader or partnership has no CR12; the business name registration shows the owners instead.

Documents you need

• The company's registration number and name as they appear on the certificate of incorporation
• An eCitizen account, ideally the company's own
• The company's register must be up to date: an unfiled change of directors or shareholders will show the old position

How to apply, step by step

• Sign in to eCitizen and open the Business Registration Service.
• Choose an official search (CR12) and enter the company's registration number.
• Pay the fee shown on the portal.
• The Registrar processes the request and the CR12 is made available in your eCitizen account for download.
• Check every name, ID number and shareholding on it against your records before you use it.

How recent it must be

The law sets no expiry, so each procuring entity decides. Many tenders ask for a CR12 issued within the last twelve months; some say six months, and a few say three. Read the tender's requirement, and if your last CR12 is older than it asks, order a new one before you bid. Keeping a CR12 under six months old in the vault covers most tenders.

Why bids get thrown out over it

• The CR12 was older than the tender allowed.
• The directors on the CR12 did not match the people who signed the tender forms or the power of attorney.
• Shareholding on the CR12 did not support the AGPO category claimed.
• A company search printout or a CR12 from a previous year was attached in place of a current official search.

How Tendakazi helps

The vault records when your CR12 was issued and prompts you before it is older than most tenders accept. Our analysts check each tender's recency requirement against the one you hold and flag it with the page it comes from. If you need a new one, order it as a quoted service and we obtain it from the BRS and replace it in the vault.

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