Trademark registration in Kenya

Costs, market data and law firms for Kenya

Kenya

Kenya: registering a trademark costs an estimated US$855 for one class, plus US$560 for each further class. Kenya is a member of the Madrid System, so a trademark can be filed with its office directly or extended to Kenya through an international registration. Kenya is a leading import market for chemicals (class 1) and paper and printed matter (class 16). It is also one of the world's leading exporters of tea.

Population57.5m
Economy (GDP)US$136bn
Trademark classes filed by foreign applicants (2024)6,158
Madrid System memberYes

Figures by trademark class count branded goods only: raw commodities that are traded mostly without brands - such as gold bars, fuel, bulk chemicals, grain and fabric by the metre - are left out. Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates are left out of the rankings, as much of their trade is re-exported.

Where Kenya is a leading market

  • #3 in Sub-Saharan Africa for class 1 (Chemicals) - US$226m of imports
  • #3 in Sub-Saharan Africa for class 16 (Paper and printed matter) - US$193m of imports
  • #3 in Sub-Saharan Africa for class 5 (Pharmaceuticals) - US$694m of imports
  • #3 in Sub-Saharan Africa for class 10 (Medical apparatus) - US$135m of imports
  • #3 in Sub-Saharan Africa for class 31 (Agricultural products) - US$78m of imports
  • #4 in Sub-Saharan Africa for class 24 (Textiles) - US$72m of imports

A leading exporter

  • #1 in the world for tea - US$1.4bn of exports (18% of the world's)

Fastest-growing markets

  • Class 19 (Building materials): imports up 13% a year
  • Class 6 (Metal goods): imports up 7% a year
  • Class 33 (Wines and spirits): imports up 6% a year
Kenya: the biggest import markets by trademark class (2024, US$m)
Kenya's share of Sub-Saharan Africa's imports, by trademark class (%)
Kenya: import growth by trademark class (2022-2024, % a year)
Kenya: its leading and key exports (2024, US$m)

Goods where Kenya is among the world's 3 largest exporters, has at least 15% of world exports, or that make up at least 25% of its own exports - of at least US$500m a year.

Questions about trademarks in Kenya

How much does it cost to register a trademark in Kenya?

Our estimate is about US$855 for one class, from filing to registration: about US$465 in official fees and about US$390 in professional (law firm) fees. Each further class adds about US$560. Responses to office actions and oppositions are not included. These are estimates only: the actual cost depends on the law firm and the application. Request a quote from a law firm on this site for an exact price.

Can I use the Madrid System for Kenya?

Kenya is a member of the Madrid System, so a trademark can be filed with its office directly or extended to Kenya through an international registration. WIPO's fee to designate Kenya is CHF 268 for one class (about US$322) and CHF 460 for two classes, on top of WIPO's basic fee for the international application.

For which goods is Kenya an important market?

Kenya's 10 largest import markets by trademark class are machines (class 7, US$1.6bn), electronics and software (class 9, US$1.5bn), vehicles (class 12, US$1.4bn), pharmaceuticals (class 5, US$694m), clothing, footwear and headwear (class 25, US$574m), furniture (class 20, US$365m), metal goods (class 6, US$344m), lighting, heating and cooking appliances (class 11, US$310m), cosmetics and cleaning (class 3, US$295m) and rubber and plastics (class 17, US$256m). Within its region, it stands out for chemicals (#3 in Sub-Saharan Africa), paper and printed matter (#3 in Sub-Saharan Africa), pharmaceuticals (#3 in Sub-Saharan Africa), medical apparatus (#3 in Sub-Saharan Africa), agricultural products (#3 in Sub-Saharan Africa) and textiles (#4 in Sub-Saharan Africa). Imports are growing fastest for building materials (13% a year), metal goods (7% a year) and wines and spirits (6% a year). Foreign applicants filed 6,158 trademark classes in Kenya in 2024 - #2 in Sub-Saharan Africa - a sign of how many brand owners already protect their marks there.

What does Kenya export, and why does that matter for my trademark?

Kenya's exports of goods came to US$8.7bn in 2024. Its 10 largest exports were tea (US$1.4bn, 16% of its exports, #1 in the world), refined petroleum products (US$905m, 10% of its exports, #63 in the world), cut flowers (US$779m, 9% of its exports, #4 in the world), dates, pineapples, avocados and mangoes (US$315m, 4% of its exports, #17 in the world), coffee (US$311m, 4% of its exports, #26 in the world), packaged medicines (US$164m, 2% of its exports, #61 in the world), cement (US$147m, 2% of its exports, #27 in the world), suits, ensembles, jackets, blazers, trousers, bib and brace overalls, breeches and shorts (US$136m, 2% of its exports, #39 in the world), lamb and goat meat (US$132m, 2% of its exports, #8 in the world) and coated steel sheet (US$123m, 1% of its exports, #34 in the world). By trademark class, its 10 largest exports were agricultural products (class 31, US$937m, #19 in the world), clothing, footwear and headwear (class 25, US$574m, #63 in the world), cosmetics and cleaning (class 3, US$211m, #58 in the world), coffee, tea, bakery and confectionery (class 30, US$190m, #72 in the world), pharmaceuticals (class 5, US$176m, #67 in the world), meat, dairy and preserved foods (class 29, US$143m, #79 in the world), electronics and software (class 9, US$118m, #92 in the world), machines (class 7, US$100m, #83 in the world), tobacco and smokers' articles (class 34, US$99m, #47 in the world) and vehicles (class 12, US$92m, #74 in the world). Where goods are made and exported, copies are often made too: a registered trademark there lets you act against counterfeits at the source, including with the help of customs.

Law firms for Kenya

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Trade: imports and exports of each trademark class's branded goods. Rankings compare countries' trade in those goods, without the re-export hubs. Costs are estimates.