Corporate Trustees License
Business Type: Corporate trustees are entities licensed under Regulation 31 of the Capital Markets (Collective Investment Schemes) Regulations, 2023, to provide oversight and governance for collective investment schemes such as unit trusts, mutual funds, and other pooled investment vehicles. Corporate trustees play a critical role in safeguarding investors’ interests by ensuring that...
REIT Trustees License
Business Type: REIT trustees are responsible under the trust deed for the safe custody of REIT assets for the benefit of unitholders as a whole. They oversee the activities of the REIT manager for compliance with the trust deed and regulatory requirements.
Licensing Requirements: Must provide certificate of incorporation, memorandum and articles of association, a business plan, unaudited...
REIT Managers License
Business Type: Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) managers are companies incorporated in Kenya and licensed by the CMA to provide real estate management services in respect of a REIT. REITs are collective investment schemes that invest primarily in income-generating real estate and distribute a significant portion of their income to unitholders.
Licensing Requirements: Must be...
Venture Capital Companies License
Business Type: Registered venture capital companies invest in startups and early-stage businesses with high growth potential. They provide capital, expertise, and strategic guidance to portfolio companies in exchange for equity stakes. Venture capital companies play a critical role in fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth by funding high-risk, high-reward ventures....
Online Forex Brokers and Money Managers License
Business Type: This sector includes Dealing Online Foreign Exchange Brokers (entities that engage in online foreign exchange trading as principals and market makers), Non-Dealing Online Foreign Exchange Brokers (entities that act as links between the forex market and clients in return for commissions or mark-ups in spreads without engaging in market-making activities), and Money Managers...
Collective Investment Schemes License
Business Type: Collective investment schemes (CIS) are entities constituted as companies, trusts, or other legal entities prescribed by the Authority to mobilize savings in financial assets and enhance access to capital markets by small investors. They include mutual funds, unit trusts, investment trusts, special funds, and other specialized collective investment schemes. CIS offer...
Commodities Brokers License
Business Type: Commodities brokers are companies cleared by commodity exchanges and licensed by the CMA to carry on the business of purchase or sale of commodities contracts as agents for investors or on their own account.
Licensing Requirements: Must be a company limited by shares, have a chief executive officer who is fit and proper with at least five years of experience in buying,...
Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles
What Is Sustainability-Linked Loans (SLLs)?
Sustainability-Linked Loans (SLLs) are a form of financing where the borrower’s cost of capital is tied to their achievement of predefined Sustainability Performance Targets (SPTs). Unlike green or social loans whose use of proceeds must be earmarked for eligible projects, SLLs can be used for general corporate purposes, provided the...
Green Loan Principles
The Green Loan Principles (GLPs) are a set of voluntary and recommended guidelines that establish a framework for loan instruments exclusively designated to finance or re-finance “Green Projects.” GLPs’ defining legal characteristic is the strict application of its proceeds for environmentally beneficial purposes. The GLPs are structured around four core components, which serve as...
Social Loan Principles
What Are Social Loans?
Social loans are defined as loan instruments or contingent facilities (such as bonding or guarantee lines) where the proceeds are exclusively used to finance or refinance eligible Social Projects, in alignment with the four core components of the Social Loan Principles (SLP). These projects must demonstrate clear social objectives and target populations, and the...

