Thousands To Lose Jobs As Govt Shuts Down 116 Companies, To Close 115 More
Registrar of Companies Joyce Koech informed Kenyans that several companies offering various products and services, have been officially dissolved and are no longer operating.
Marvin Chege 
The unemployment crisis is set to worsen in Kenya in 2025 after the government announced the dissolution of 116 companies.
In a Gazette Notice issued on Friday, January 3, Registrar of Companies Joyce Koech informed Kenyans that several companies offering various products and services, have been officially dissolved and are no longer operating.
"Pursuant to Section 897 (4) of the Companies Act, 2015, it is notified for information of the general public that the following companies are dissolved and their names have been struck off the Register of Companies with effect from the date of publication of this notice," Koech revealed.
The Registrar of Companies did not however disclose the reasons behind the dissolution of the companies. A complete list of the dissolved companies can be found in the January 3 issue of the Gazette, Notice No. 94, on pages 16 to 19.
Offices hosting the Business Registration Service. /EREGULATIONS KENYA
At the same time, Koech warned that 115 more companies would be dissolved within the next three months.
"PURSUANT to Section 897(3) of the Companies Act, the Registrar of Companies gives notice that the names of the companies specified hereunder shall be struck off from the Register of Companies at the expiration of three months from the date of publication of this Notice," the notice read in part.
The Registrar of Companies however invited anyone with an objection to the intended dissolution to present themselves, providing a reason and evidence as to why they should not be shut down.
"The registrar invites any person to show cause why the companies should not be struck off from the Register of Companies," the notice continued.
In the Companies Act, a company may, through its directors or the Registrar of Companies, apply to be struck off the register of companies as it ceases its operations and existence.
A company might be dissolved in situations where it could be contravening the law or is under liquidation. Many companies that dissolved previously did so due to the stringent regulatory and taxation measures put forth by the government.
The dissolution of the 116 companies will likely see thousands of Kenyans suffering directly and thousands more indirectly, especially those whose livelihoods and that of their families depend on the companies.
Several multinational companies in 2024 announced their exit from Kenya, citing economic uncertainties, shifting consumer trends, and a challenging regulatory environment. Other companies based in Kenya closed down their operations completely.
The recent exodus of global brands from Kenya paints a troubling picture of an economy at a crossroads. Once a beacon of hope for multinational corporations seeking growth in Africa, Kenya now grapples with a challenging business environment as 2025 gets underway.
The situation means that millions of Kenyans are beginning the new year jobless, with the wave of exits raising critical questions about Kenya’s business climate. What is worse is that other companies based in Kenya decided to close shop, worsening the unemployment crisis.
