How to Register a Chama in Kenya: Requirements, Fees and Steps

Once your chama is holding real money, registering it protects everyone in it. In Kenya, you register as a community group at your Sub-County Social Development Office or a Huduma Centre, with at least ten adult members and a written constitution.

You'll also need minutes of the meeting where members agreed to register, plus a list of members with their ID and phone numbers. The office has to decide within 14 days. Here's the full checklist under the Community Groups Registration Act, 2022.

The Community Groups Registration Regulations, 2026 (Legal Notice 154 of 2026, in force from 7 August 2026) set the fees, reported at KES 1,000 to register a self-help group plus KES 100 for the name search, with registration valid for two years. Confirm the fee at the office before you pay.

Need the paperwork? Our chama constitution template builds your constitution (covering everything the Act requires), the founding-meeting minutes and an Excel record book from your chama's own rules.

Who can register as a community group?

Under section 9 of the Community Groups Registration Act, 2022, a group qualifies if:

• its members are adults;
• they share a common purpose; and
• it has at least ten members, or at least five for a special interest group.

The Act doesn't name merry-go-rounds, table banking or investment groups, but a chama that meets those three conditions fits its definition of a community group: a self-organised, voluntary association of people pursuing a common purpose.

What documents do you need?

Based on the Act and the 2026 Regulations, bring:

1. Form 1, the application for registration of a community group.
2. Proof of your reserved name (from the name search).
3. Your constitution, signed by members. Section 10 requires it, and the Act's Second Schedule lists 21 matters it must cover, from membership and office bearers to finances, meetings, elections, disputes and dissolution.
4. Minutes of the meeting where members agreed to form the group, adopted the constitution and resolved to register.
5. Office bearers' details (Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and any others).
6. A signed attendance list with each member's name, ID number and phone number.
7. The registration fee, and keep the official receipt.

How to register a chama: step by step

1. Hold a founding meeting. Agree the group's purpose, adopt the constitution, elect office bearers and resolve to register. Record it all in the minutes, and have every member sign the attendance list.
2. Reserve a name. Apply to the Director with at least two proposed names and pay the search fee. A reserved name is held for 30 days.
3. Submit the application with the documents above at the Sub-County Social Development Office or a Huduma Centre.
4. Wait for the decision. The Director has 14 days to register or refuse a complete application. A refusal must come in writing with reasons, and you can appeal to the Cabinet Secretary.
5. Collect your certificate, then open a bank or SACCO account in the group's name.

How much does it cost to register a chama?

These fees are from the Community Groups Registration Regulations, 2026, as reported in a guide dated 31 August 2026. We couldn't check them against the official schedule, so confirm them with your Sub-County Social Development Officer. The Act itself leaves fee amounts to regulations.

What a registered chama must do afterwards

Registration comes with duties under the Act. Build them into your routine from the first meeting:

• Keep a members' register with each member's name, contact address and date of joining, and record anyone who leaves within 14 days (section 28). A group that fails to keep one faces a fine of up to KES 100,000, and office bearers can be fined or jailed.
• Keep proper books of accounts and keep financial records for seven years (section 31). The Treasurer renders accounts at least once a year.
• Submit a report on activities and finances every two years, by 30th June, adopted at the annual general meeting (section 33).
• Notify the Director within one month of any change of office bearers (section 25), of the constitution (section 10) or of the address (section 22).
• Renew on time. The first renewal is due after two years and then every year; apply at least two months before. A group that doesn't renew for four years is treated as dissolved (sections 14 and 16).

Misusing a community group's money is a serious offence: a fine of up to KES 3 million, prison for up to two years, or both (section 37).

Running a merry-go-round? The chama contribution calculator works out each member's payout, the date of every turn and what a group savings pot grows to.

Should a chama register as a company instead?

Registering as a community group is the cheapest and simplest route, and it's designed for savings groups, merry-go-rounds and table banking. Investment groups planning to buy land or take large loans sometimes register as a limited company or partnership instead, which costs more but makes it easier to hold title deeds and sign contracts. A SACCO is a different structure again, regulated under the Co-operative Societies Act. If you're unsure, ask your Sub-County Social Development Officer before you file.

Frequently asked questions

How many members do you need to register a chama in Kenya?

At least ten adults, or at least five for a special interest group, under section 9 of the Community Groups Registration Act, 2022.

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

About KES 1,000 for a self-help group plus KES 100 for the name search, under the Community Groups Registration Regulations, 2026, as reported in August 2026. Confirm the current fee at your Sub-County Social Development Office.

Where do I register a chama?

At the Sub-County Social Development Office, which handles applications for the Director for Social Development, or at a Huduma Centre.

How long does chama registration take?

The Director must register or refuse a complete application within 14 days.

Can I register a chama online?

As of August 2026 there wasn't a complete public eCitizen service for community-group registration, according to the guide cited above, so plan to apply in person and confirm the intake process locally.

Do we need a constitution to register?

Yes. Section 10 of the Act requires a constitution with every application, covering the 21 matters in the Second Schedule. Our chama constitution template covers all of them and fills in your group's own rules.