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Independent Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (IESCC) In Kenya

September 19th, 2011 No comments

The Independent Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission will replace the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (KACC).

Independent Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission will enforce the anti corruption and economic crimes act and other present and future statutes that have some anti-corruption and economic crimes related provisions.

The enactment of the Bill will provide the framework for investigations, prosecution of corruption suspects and assets recovery.

The commission will have a chairperson and six other members. It will have a secretariat to be headed by a secretary who will also be secretary to the commission.

Marriage in Kenya

December 30th, 2009 8 comments

Marriage in Kenya: Bring original and copies of the Identity Cards or Passports of both parties. Complete Notice of Intention to Marry form and pay Kshs.200.

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Categories: Law Tags: ,

Memorandum of Association

December 30th, 2009 5 comments

Memorandum of Association of a Company
THE COMPANIES ACT (CHAPTER 486)
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION
of
ACCELON KENYA LIMITED

1. The name of the Company is “Accelon Kenya Limited”.

2. The registered office of the Company will be situated in the Republic of Kenya.

3. The objects for which the Company is established are:

(1) To carry on the business as Internet service providers including provision of broadband communication services, satellite communication services and internet access solutions.

(2) To provide services in connection with the design, selection, purchase, servicing, maintenance, replacement, installation, testing and commissioning of all types of communications and telecommunications equipment and systems, media transmission and receiving equipment including satellite communication systems and all types of computers and computer systems and to carry on business as consultants and advisers in respect of these and other services.

(3) To carry on the business of a telephonic, telegraphic and cable company, telephonic, telegraphic and cable contractors and factors, electrical and mechanical engineers, electric light, heating and power suppliers and in particular to establish, work, manage, control and regulate telephonic and telegraphic exchanges and transmitting and receiving stations and units and works for the supply of electric light, heat, motive power or otherwise for public or private purposes and to transmit and facilitate the transmission of telephonic, telegraphic and cable communications and messages.

(4) To carry on business as manufacturers, assemblers, importers, exporters, agents, manufacturers’ representatives, stockists, suppliers, transporters, distributors, wholesalers, retailers and dealers and to service, repair, install, test, commission and maintain all types of communications and telecommunications equipment, telephones, telexes, teleprinters, radios, computers, and all equipment, accessories, tools, spares and implements ancillary and related thereto and electric cables, wires, lines, accumulators, transformers, receivers, and transmitters.

(5) To carry on the business of manufacturers and wholesale and retail dealers in goods, commodities and products of every description and to import, manufacture and deal in all kinds of goods and things.

(6) To manufacture and service telecommunications equipment and accessories, electronic telephone exchanges, medical and scientific data communications equipment and audio visual equipment and to carry on business as suppliers, buyers and sellers of conventional and specialised telephone apparatus, telephone answering sets, answerphones, recording telephones, loudspeaker phones and electronic secretaries.

(7) To deal in and operate appliances and machines used in connection with reproduction or transmission of pictures, print media material and sounds, whether for entertainment, advertisement, educational or other purposes.

(8) To produce, make, manufacture, record, import, export, buy, sell, supply, stock, distribute, prepare, develop and deal as wholesalers and retailers in records, compact-discs, cassettes, publications, video and other films, published music, music, electronic components, spares, kits and assemblies for the music, film and media transmission industry.

(9) To obtain all necessary licences or otherwise to purchase or acquire copy rights and rights of films, video and television films, plays, music, songs, cinematograph and other films, operas and theatrical works and to obtain filming network contracts, and to carry on the business of recording and video taping, photography and designing, developing, processing and printing films, photos, colour photography, motion pictures, video films, sound reproduction, television and any other process tending to improve films and photography and to develop, experiment and carry on any research for the improvement of photography and films in the laboratory.

(10) To manufacture, buy, sell, import, alter, maintain, service, repair and otherwise deal in plant, machinery, tools, instruments, substances, materials, apparatus, appliances and things of all kinds used or capable of being used in connection with any of the businesses of the Company or which, in the opinion of the Directors of the Company, nay be conveniently dealt with or in by the Company in connection with any of its objects.

(11) To provide training programmes, courses and facilities in all fields of installation, selection, commissioning, testing, servicing, maintenance and supply of all types of communications, telecommunications and media communication equipment and to organise courses, seminars and group training in such fields.

(12) To establish facilities for the recording, processing, manufacturing and sale of all types of black and white and colour films and any products related to the further development by research of all forms of films and their accessories.

(13) To carry on the business of advertising agents, contractors and managers and providers of services of all forms.

(14) To act as business and market research consultants and as agents or managers in carrying on any business concerns and undertakings, and to employ experts to investigate and examine into the condition, management, prospects, value and circumstances of any business concerns and undertakings and generally of any assets property or right of any kind.

(15) To undertake or direct the management of companies and of the property, buildings, land and estates (of any tenure) of any persons whether members of the Company or not, in the capacity of directors, managers, stewards, receivers or otherwise, and to purchase and sell for any person, property, building or land or any share or interest therein or to transact on commission or otherwise the general business of a land agent.

(16) To carry on the businesses of transport, cartage and haulage contractors, owners and charterers of motor and other vehicles, aircraft, rolling stock, vessels, ships, boats and craft of every description, carriers of passengers, animals and goods by road, rail, water or air, shipping, chartering, forwarding, transport and commission agents, customs agents, stevedores, wharfingers, carmen, cargo superintendants, packers, hauliers, warehousemen, storekeepers, electricians and engineers.

(17) To construct, equip, maintain and work transport vehicles, motor coaches and other vehicles appropriate for carriage of goods or passengers and to construct and operate garages, storehouses, service stations and other buildings for the housing or repair of vehicles and the storage of fuel and other oils and substances required in connection therewith.

(18) To carry on the business of an investment company and for that purpose to acquire and hold either in the name of the Company or in that of any nominee, shares, stocks, debentures, debenture stock, bonds, notes, obligations and securities issued or guaranteed by any company wherever incorporated or carrying on business and debentures, debenture stock, bonds, notes, obligations and securities issued or guaranteed by any government, sovereign ruler, commissioners, public body or authority, supreme, dependant, municipal, local or otherwise in any part of the World.

(19) To acquire any such shares, stocks, debentures, debenture stocks, bonds, notes, obligations or securities by original subscription, contract, tender, purchase, exchange, underwriting, participation in syndicates or otherwise or not fully paid up and to subscribe for the same subject to such terms and conditions (if any) as may be thought fit.

(20) To exercise and enforce all rights and powers conferred by or incident to the ownership of such shares, stock, obligations or other securities, including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing all such powers of veto or control as may be conferred by virtue of the holding by the Company of some special portion of the issued or nominal amount thereof.

(21) To carry on any other trade, business or activity whatsoever and to do anything of any nature which can, in the opinion of the Directors of the Company, be advantageously or conveniently carried on by the Company in connection with, as ancillary to or independently of any of its businesses.

(22) To purchase, take on lease or in exchange, hire or otherwise acquire any moveable or immovable property of any kind or any interest therein and any rights or privileges which the Directors of the Company may think necessary or convenient for the purposes of or in connection with the Company’s businesses or which may enhance the value of any other property of the Company.

(23) To build, construct, alter, improve, enlarge, repair, maintain, develop, demolish, remove or replace and to work, manage, carry out or control works of all descriptions, including but not limited to offices, factories, mills, warehouses, shops, stores, garages and other buildings, roads, machinery and plant, which may, in the opinion of the Directors of the Company, be likely to advance directly or indirectly the Company’s interests; to clear sites for the same; to contribute to, subsidise or otherwise assist in the building, construction, alteration, repair, improvement, enlargement, maintenance, development, demolition, removal, replacement, working, management, carrying out or control.

(24) To improve, manage, develop, turn to account, grant rights or privileges in respect of or otherwise deal with any of the property, rights and privileges of the Company.

(25) To subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire and hold shares, stocks, debentures and other securities of any other company and to invest and deal with the moneys of the Company in any manner.

(26) To vest any moveable or immovable property, right, privilege or interest acquired by or belonging to the Company in any person or company on behalf of or for the benefit of the Company and with or without any declared trust in favour of the Company.

(27) To apply for, purchase or otherwise acquire and protect and renew, in any part of the world, any patents, patent rights, brevets d’invention, copyrights, trade marks, designs, formulae, licences, concessions and the like, conferring any exclusive or non-exclusive or limited right to their use or any secret or other information as to any invention which may seem capable of being used for any of the purposes of the Company or the acquisition of which may seem likely, directly or indirectly, to benefit the Company and to use, exercise, develop or grant licences in respect of or otherwise turn to account the property rights or information so acquired and to expend money in experimenting upon, testing or improving any such inventions or property.

(28) To acquire and undertake the whole or any part of the business, assets and liabilities of any person or company carrying on or proposing to carry on any business which the Company is authorised to carry on or which can be carried on in conjunction with any business of the Company or which is capable of being conducted so as, directly or indirectly, to benefit the Company or which is possessed of property suitable for the purposes of the Company.

(29) To enter, with any government or authority, supreme, municipal, local or otherwise, or any person or company, into any arrangement that may seem to the Directors of the Company to be conducive to the attainment of the objects of the Company or any of them and to obtain from any such government, authority, person or company any rights, privileges, charters, contracts, licences or concessions which the Directors of the Company may think it desirable to obtain and to carry out, exercise and comply therewith.

(30) To lend money or give credit to any person or company with or without security; to give guarantees or indemnities for the payment of money or the performance of contracts or obligations by any person or company; to secure or undertake in any way the repayment of money lent or advanced to or liabilities incurred by any person or company and otherwise to assist any person or company.

(31) To receive money on deposit or loan and to borrow or raise money in such manner as the Directors of the Company may think fit and to secure repayment of the same or the payment or performance of any debt, liability, contract, guarantee or other engagement incurred or entered into or to be incurred or entered into by the Company, by the issue of debentures or debenture stock or legal or equitable mortgages or charges over all or any of the Company’s property (both present and future) including its uncalled capital or in any other way and to purchase, redeem or pay off any such securities.

(32) To open and operate banking accounts and to draw, make, accept, endorse, discount, execute and issue promissory notes, bills of exchange, bills of lading, warrants, drafts, cheques, bonds and other negotiable or transferable instruments.

(33) To apply for, promote and obtain any statute, decree, order of court, regulation or other enactment or authorisation which may, to the Directors of the Company, seem likely to benefit the Company, directly or indirectly, and to oppose any bills, proceedings or applications which may, in the opinion of the Directors of the Company, be likely, directly or indirectly, to prejudice the interests of the Company.

(34) To apply for, secure, acquire by grant, legislative enactment, assignment, transfer, purchase or otherwise and to exercise, carry out and enjoy any charter, licence, power, authority, franchise, concession, right or privilege which any government or authority, supreme, municipal, local or otherwise, or any corporation or public body may be empowered to issue, confer or make and to pay for, aid in and contribute towards carrying the same into effect and to appropriate any of the Company’s assets, shares, stock, debentures or other securities to defray the necessary costs and expenses thereof.

(35) To pay out of the funds of the Company all expenses which the Company may lawfully pay for or in connection with the formation and registration of the Company or the issue of its capital.

(36) To pay for any rights or property acquired by the Company and to remunerate any person or company, by a cash payment or by the allotment of shares in the capital of the Company, credited as paid up in full or in part, by the issue of debentures or other securities of the Company or in any other lawful manner.

(37) To establish and maintain or procure the establishment and maintenance of any contributory or non-contributory pension, provident or superannuation funds for the benefit of and to give or procure the giving of donations, gratuities, pensions, allowances, benefits and emoluments to any persons who are, or were at any time, in the employment or service of the Company or of any company which is its holding company or subsidiary or which is allied to or associated with the Company or with any such holding company or subsidiary or who are, or were at any time, Directors or Officers of the Company or of any such other company as aforesaid or any persons in whose welfare the Company or any such other company as aforesaid is or has been at any time interested and to the wives, widows, families and dependants of any such persons; to establish and subsidise or subscribe to any institutions, associations, clubs or funds considered by the Directors of the Company to be for the benefit of or to advance the interests and well-being of the Company or of any such other company as aforesaid or of any such persons as aforesaid; to make payments for or towards the insurance of any such persons as aforesaid; to subscribe or guarantee money for charitable or benevolent objects or for any exhibition or for any public, general or useful purpose and to do any of the matters aforesaid either alone or in conjunction with any such other company as aforesaid.

(38) To adopt such means of making known the businesses, activities, products, goods and services of and articles dealt in and sold by the Company as may, in the opinion of the Directors of the Company, seem expedient.

(39) To amalgamate, enter into partnership or into any arrangement for sharing profits, union of interests, co-operation, joint venture, reciprocal concession, limiting competition or otherwise, with any person or company carrying on or engaged in or about to carry on or engage in any business or transaction which the Company is authorised to carry on or engage in or which can be carried on in conjunction with any business of the Company or which is capable of being conducted so as to benefit the Company, directly or indirectly.

(40) To establish or promote or concur in establishing or promoting any company, association, syndicate or partnership of any kind to acquire and take over all or any part of the undertaking, property, assets and liabilities of the Company or for any other purpose which may, in the opinion of the Directors of the Company, be likely, directly or indirectly, to benefit the Company and to place or guarantee the placing of, underwrite, subscribe for, conditionally or unconditionally, or otherwise acquire all or any of the shares, stock, debentures or other securities of any such other company.

(41) To sell, exchange, lease, mortgage, charge or otherwise dispose of the property, assets or undertaking of the Company or any part thereof for such consideration as the Directors of the Company may think fit and, in particular, for shares, stock, debentures or other securities of any other company, whether or not having objects altogether or in part similar to those of the Company.

(42) To distribute among the Members, in specie or in kind, any property of the Company or any proceeds of sale or disposal of any property of the Company but so that no distribution amounting to a reduction of capital shall be made except with any sanction for the time being required by law.

(43) To undertake and execute any trust which may, in the opinion of the Directors of the Company, be conducive to any of the objects of the Company.

(44) To act as agent, broker or trustee for any person or company and to act as secretary, manager, consultant, adviser, book-keeper or registrar of or transfer agent for any other company.

(45) To do all or any of the above things in any part of the world and either as principal, agent, trustee, contractor or otherwise and either alone or jointly with others and either by or through agents, trustees, sub-contractors or otherwise.

(46) To procure the Company to be registered or recognised in any place outside the Republic of Kenya.

(47) To do all such other things as are or may be deemed incidental or conducive to the attainment of any of the objects and the exercise of any of the powers of the Company.

It is hereby declared:

(a) that the word “company” in this clause, except where used in reference to the Company, shall be deemed to include any partnership or other body of persons whether incorporated or not incorporated and whether domiciled in the Republic of Kenya or elsewhere;

(b) that the objects specified in each of the paragraphs of this clause shall be regarded as independent objects and accordingly shall in no way be limited or restricted (except where otherwise expressed in such paragraphs) by reference to or inference from the terms of any other paragraph or the name of the Company but may be carried out in as full and ample a manner and construed in as wide a sense as if each of the said paragraphs defined the objects of a separate and distinct company; and

(c) that the meaning of any general word or words in any paragraph of this clause shall not be restricted by being construed ejusdem generis with any particular word or words in the same paragraph.

4. The liability of the Members is limited.

5. The share capital of the Company is Shillings one hundred thousand (Shs. 100,000) divided into five thousand (5,000) shares of Shillings twenty (Shs.20) each with power for the Company to increase or reduce such capital and divide any shares in its capital for the time being into several classes and to attach thereto respectively any preferential, deferred, qualified or other rights, privileges, restrictions or conditions and to issue all or any part of such original, increased or reduced capital with or subject to such preferential, deferred, qualified or other rights, privileges, restrictions or conditions.

We, the several persons whose names, addresses and occupations are subscribed, are desirous of being formed into a company in pursuance of this Memorandum of Association and we respectively agree to take the number of shares in the capital of the Company set opposite our respective names.

Names, Postal Addresses and
Occupations of Subscribers Number of Shares taken
by each Subscriber Signatures of Subscribers

Total Shares taken

Dated this day of 2007.
Witness to the above signatures:

Categories: Law Tags: , , ,

Articles of Association

December 30th, 2009 87 comments

Articles of Association
THE COMPANIES ACT (CHAPTER 486)
COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
of
***** KENYA LIMITED

1. The regulations contained in Table A in the First Schedule to the Act shall not apply to the Company.

2. In these Articles, if not inconsistent with the subject or context:

(a) “Act” shall mean the Companies Act (chapter 486);
(b) “Articles” shall mean these Articles of Association as now framed or as from time to time altered by Special Resolution;
(c) “Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company or the Directors present at a duly convened meeting of the Directors at which a quorum is present;
(d) “Company” shall mean ***** Kenya Limited;
(e) “debenture” shall include debenture stock;
(f) “Director” shall include an alternate director;
(g) “dividend” shall include bonus;
(h) “Kenya” shall mean the Republic of Kenya;
(i) “Member” shall mean a shareholder in the Company;
(j) “month” shall mean a calendar month;
(k) “paid up” shall mean paid up or credited as paid up;
(l) “Seal” shall mean the common seal of the Company;
(m) “Secretary” shall include a temporary or assistant secretary and any person appointed by the Board to perform any of the duties of the Secretary;
(n) “Shillings” and “Shs.” shall mean Kenya shillings;
(o) the expression “in writing” or “written” shall include words written, printed, lithographed or represented or reproduced in any other mode in visible form;
(p) words signifying the singular number only shall include the plural number and vice versa;
(q) words signifying the masculine gender only shall include the feminine gender;
(r) words importing persons shall include corporations;
(s) reference to any provision of the Act shall be construed as a reference to such provision as modified or re-enacted by any act for the time being in force.
3. Subject to the last preceding Article, any words or expressions defined in the Act shall, if not inconsistent with the subject or context, bear the same meaning in these Articles.

PRIVATE COMPANY

4. The Company is a private company and accordingly:

(a) the number of Members of the Company (exclusive of persons who are in the employment of the Company and of persons who, having been formerly in the employment of the Company, were while in such employment and have continued after the determination of such employment to be Members of the Company) is limited to fifty; provided that where two or more persons hold one or more shares in the Company jointly, they shall, for the purpose of this Article, be treated as a single Member;

(b) any invitation to the public to subscribe for any shares or debentures of the Company is prohibited;

(c) the Company shall not have power to issue share warrants to bearer;

(d) the right to transfer shares is restricted in manner hereinafter provided.

BUSINESS

5. Any branch or kind of business which the Company is either expressly or by implication authorised to undertake may be undertaken by the Board at such time or times as it shall deem fit and, further, may be permitted by it to be in abeyance, whether such branch or kind of business may have been actually commenced or not so long as the Board may deem it expedient not to commence or proceed with the same.

6. The registered office of the Company shall be at such place in Kenya as the Board shall from time to time appoint.

7. No part of the funds of the Company shall be employed in the subscription or purchase of or in loans upon the security of the Company’s shares or those of its holding company (if any) and the Company shall not give, whether directly or indirectly and whether by means of a loan, guarantee, the provision of security or otherwise, any financial assistance for the purpose of or in connection with any purchase or subscription by any person of or for shares in the Company or in its holding company (if any) provided that nothing in this Article shall prohibit transactions mentioned in the proviso to section 56(1) of the Act.

SHARE CAPITAL AND VARIATION OF RIGHTS

8. The share capital of the Company is Shillings one hundred thousand (Shs. 100,000) divided into five thousand (5,000) shares of Shillings twenty (Shs.20) each.

9. Without prejudice to any special rights previously conferred on the holders of any shares or class of shares, any share in the Company may be issued with or have attached thereto such preferred, deferred or other special rights or such restrictions, whether in regard to dividend, voting, return of capital or otherwise, as the Company may from time to time by Ordinary Resolution determine.

10. Subject to the provisions of section 60 of the Act, any preference shares may, with the sanction of a Special Resolution, be issued upon the terms that they are or, at the option of the Company, are liable to be redeemed on such terms and in such manner as the Company may by Special Resolution determine.

11. If, at any time, the share capital is divided into different classes of shares, the rights attached to any class (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class) may from time to time, whether or not the Company is being wound up, be altered or abrogated with the consent in writing of the holders of not less than three-fourths of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a Special Resolution passed at a separate general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class. To every such separate general meeting, all the provisions of these Articles relating to General Meetings of the Company shall, mutatis mutandis, apply but so that the necessary quorum shall be two persons at least holding or representing by proxy not less than one-third of the issued shares of the class and that any holder of shares of the class present in person or by proxy may demand a poll.

12. The special rights conferred upon the holders of any shares or class of shares shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the conditions of issue of such shares, be deemed to be altered by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu therewith.

13. Subject to the provisions of these Articles, the shares in the capital of the Company shall be at the disposal of the Board which may allot, grant options over or otherwise dispose of them to such persons, for such consideration, on such terms and conditions and at such times as it may determine provided that no shares shall be issued at a discount except in accordance with section 59 of the Act.

14. Unless otherwise determined by Special Resolution and except in the case of the issue of shares pursuant to any rights previously conferred in accordance with these Articles, whenever the Board proposes to issue any shares it shall offer them in the first instance to Members (other than preference shareholders not specifically entitled to them under the terms of issue of their preference shares) in proportion as nearly as may be to the number of existing shares held by them. Such offer shall be made by notice specifying the number of shares to which the Member is entitled and limiting a time (not less than twenty-one days) within which the offer, if not accepted, will be deemed to be declined and, after the expiration of that time (if the offer is not accepted) or on the earlier receipt of an intimation from the Member to whom the offer is made that he declines to accept the shares offered, the Board may allot or otherwise dispose of those shares to such persons and upon such terms as may be decided by it. The Board may likewise so dispose of any shares which, by reason of the ratio which the number of shares offered bears to the total number of existing issued shares, cannot in the opinion of the Board be conveniently offered under this Article.

15. The Company may exercise the powers of paying ommissions conferred by section 55 of the Act, provided that the rate per cent or the amount of the commission paid or agreed to be paid and the number of shares for which persons have agreed for a commission to subscribe absolutely shall be disclosed in the manner required by that section and that such commission shall not exceed ten per cent of the price at which the shares in respect whereof the same is paid are issued or an amount equal to ten per cent of such price (as the case may be). Such commission may be satisfied by the payment of cash or the allotment of fully or partly paid shares or partly in one way and partly in the other. The Company may also, on any issue of shares, pay such brokerage as may be lawful.

16. If any shares in the capital of the Company are issued for the purpose of raising money to defray the expenses of the construction of any works or buildings or the provision of any plant which cannot be made profitable for a long time, the Company may, subject to the conditions and restrictions mentioned in section 67 of the Act, pay interest on so much of such share capital as is for the time being paid up and may charge the same to capital as part of the cost of construction of the works or buildings or the provision of plant as the case may be.

17. Except as required by law, no person shall be recognised by the Company as holding any share upon any trust and the Company shall not be bound by or compelled in any way to recognise, even when having notice thereof, any equitable, contingent, future or partial interest in any share or any interest in any fractional part of a share or, except only as by these Articles or by law otherwise required or provided, any right in respect of any share other than an absolute right to the entirety thereof in the registered holder.

CERTIFICATES

18. Every person whose name is entered as a Member in the Register of Members shall be entitled, without payment, to one certificate for all his shares of each class and, when part only of the shares comprised in a certificate is sold or transferred, to a new certificate for the remainder of the shares so comprised or, upon payment of such sum, not exceeding Shillings one hundred (Shs. 100), for every certificate after the first as the Board shall from time to time determine, several certificates each for one or more of his shares of such class. Every certificate shall be issued within sixty days after allotment or lodgement of the instrument of transfer or within such other period as the conditions of issue shall provide, shall be under the Seal and shall specify the share or shares to which it relates and the amount paid up thereon. In the case of shares held jointly by several persons, the Company shall not be bound to issue more than one certificate therefor and delivery of a certificate to one of the several joint holders shall be sufficient delivery to all.

19. If a share certificate is defaced, lost or destroyed, it may be replaced on payment of such fee, if any, not exceeding Shillings one hundred (Shs. 100) and, in the case of loss or destruction, on such terms, if any, as to evidence and indemnity and payment of the out-of-pocket expenses of the Company of investigating such evidence, as the Board may think fit and, in case of defacement, on delivery of the old certificate to the Company.

LIEN

20. The Company shall have a lien on every share (other than a fully paid share) registered in the name of a Member, whether solely or jointly with others, for all moneys, whether presently payable or not, due by such Member or his estate, either alone or jointly with any other person, to the Company but the Board may at any time declare any share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The Company’s lien on a share shall extend to all dividends payable thereon.

21. The Company may sell, in such manner as the Board may determine, any share on which the Company has a lien but no sale shall be made unless a sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable or before the expiration of fourteen days after a notice in writing, stating and demanding payment of the sum presently payable and giving notice of the intention to sell in default, shall have been given to the holder for the time being of the share or to the person entitled by reason of his death or bankruptcy to the share.

22. To give effect to any such sale, the Board may authorise any person to transfer the share sold to the purchaser thereof. The purchaser shall be registered as the holder of the share and he shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money nor shall his title to the share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the sale.

23. The net proceeds of any such sale, after payment of the cost of such sale, shall be applied in or towards payment or satisfaction of the debt or liability in respect whereof the lien exists so far as the same is presently payable and any residue shall (subject to a like lien for debts or liabilities not presently payable as existed upon the share prior to the sale) be paid to the person entitled to the share at the time of the sale.
CALLS ON SHARES

24. The Board may, from time to time, make calls upon the Members in respect of any moneys unpaid on their shares and not, by the conditions of allotment thereof, made payable at fixed times and each Member shall, subject to the Company giving to him at least fourteen days’ notice specifying the time or times and place of payment, pay to the Company at the time or times and place so specified, the amount called on his shares. A call may be revoked or postponed as the Board may determine.

25. A call shall be deemed to have been made at the time when the resolution of the Board authorising the call was passed and may be required to be paid by instalments.

26. The joint holders of a share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect thereof.

27. If a sum called in respect of a share is not paid before or on the day appointed for payment thereof, the person from whom the sum is due shall pay interest on the sum from the day appointed for payment thereof to the time of actual payment at such rate, not exceeding fifteen per cent per annum, as the Board may determine but the Board may waive payment of such interest wholly or in part.

28. Any sum which, by the terms of issue of a share, becomes payable on allotment or on any fixed date, whether on account of the nominal amount of the share or by way of premium, shall for all the purposes of these Articles be deemed to be a call duly made and payable on the date on which, by the terms of issue, the same becomes payable and, in case of non-payment, all the relevant provisions of these Articles as to payment of interest and expenses, forfeiture or otherwise shall apply as if such sum had become payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified.

29. The Board may, on the issue of shares, differentiate between the holders as to the amount of calls to be paid and the times of payment.

30. The Board may, if it thinks fit, receive from any Member willing to advance the same, all or any part of the moneys uncalled and unpaid upon any shares held by him and upon all or any of the moneys so advanced may, until the same would, but for such advance, become presently payable, pay interest at such rate, not exceeding fifteen per cent per annum, as may be agreed upon between the Board and the Member paying such sum in advance.

TRANSFER OF SHARES

31. The transfer of any share in the Company shall be in writing in any usual or common form and shall be signed by the transferor and the transferee. The transferor shall be deemed to remain the holder of the share until the name of the transferee is entered in the Register of Members in respect thereof. All instruments of transfer, when registered, shall be retained by the Company.

32. Subject to the provisions of Article 33 no share in the Company shall be transferred unless and until the rights of pre-emption conferred by the provisions of this Article shall have been exhausted.

(a) Every Member who desires to transfer any shares (the “Vendor”) shall give to the Company notice in writing of that desire (“transfer notice”). A transfer notice shall specify the proposed price for the shares comprised in the notice (the “Shares”) and may, at the option of the Vendor, include the condition that, unless all the Shares are sold pursuant to the provisions of this Article, none shall be sold. If the Vendor holds more than one class of share, he shall specify in the transfer notice the number of each class of shares which he desires to transfer and the price proposed for each class of share.

(b) A transfer notice shall constitute the Company the Vendor’s agent for the sale of the Shares to the Members other than the Vendor at the price, if approved by the Board, specified in the notice or, if not so approved, at the price which the auditor of the Company for the time being shall certify in writing to be, in his opinion, the fair value of the Shares as between a willing seller and a willing buyer.

(c) Within thirty days of service of a transfer notice, the Board shall either approve the proposed price for the Shares and give notice to each Member in accordance with paragraph (e) or require the auditor to certify the fair value of the Shares.

(d) If an auditor’s certificate is required, the Company shall, immediately upon receipt, serve a copy of the certificate on the Vendor and require the Vendor, within thirty days of the service upon him of the certificate, to approve or reject the value certified by the auditor as the price for the Shares and to confirm or cancel the Company’s authority to sell the Shares. The cost of obtaining the certificate shall be borne by the Company unless the Vendor shall cancel the sale, in which case, he shall bear the cost.

(e) Within seven days of approval of the price for the Shares by the Board or the Vendor (as the case may be), the Company shall give notice in writing to all the Members other than the Vendor informing them of the number and price for the Shares and inviting each of them to apply in writing to the Company within twenty-one days of the date of service of the notice for all or any of the Shares.

(f) Within seven days of the expiry of the period fixed for receipt of applications for the Shares, the Board shall allocate the Shares (or, unless the transfer notice contains a condition to the contrary, so many of them as may be applied for) to or amongst the applicants and, in case of competition, pro rata (as nearly as possible) to the number of shares in the Company of which they are registered or unconditionally entitled to be registered as holders; Provided that no applicant shall be allocated more than the maximum number of shares specified in his application. Within seven days of the allocation, the Company shall give notice of the allocations (“allocation notice”) to the Vendor and the applicant Members specifying the place and time (being not earlier than fourteen and not later than twenty-eight days after the date of the notice) at which the sale of the shares so allocated shall be completed.

(g) The Vendor shall be bound to transfer the shares comprised in an allocation notice as specified in the notice and, if he shall fail to do so, the Chairman of the Company or some other person appointed by the Board shall be deemed to have been appointed attorney of the Vendor with full power to execute, complete and deliver, in the name and on behalf of the Vendor, transfers of the Shares to the purchasers against payment of the price to the Company. The Company shall forthwith pay the price into a separate bank account in the Company’s name and shall hold the price in trust for the Vendor.

(h) If any purchaser fails to complete the purchase of any shares as specified in an allocation notice, he shall be deemed to have forfeited his right to those shares which shall then be re-allocated by the Board to the applicants (other than any defaulting purchaser) in accordance with paragraph (f). If, in any such case, the transfer notice was subject to the condition that all the Shares be sold, completion of the sale of all the Shares shall be deferred until such time as may be specified in the notice of re-allocation.

(i) During the six months following the expiry of the period of twenty-one days referred to in paragraph (e), the Vendor shall, subject nevertheless to the provisions of Article 34, be at liberty to transfer to any person and at any price (not being less than the price fixed under this Article) any share not allocated by the Board in an allocation notice provided that, if the Vendor stipulated in his transfer notice that, unless all the Shares were sold pursuant to this Article, none should be sold, the Vendor shall not be entitled, save with the written consent of all the other Members of the Company, to sell only some of the Shares.

(j) Time shall be of the essence for all purposes of this Article.

33. The rights of pre-emption conferred in Article 32 shall not apply to:

(a) any transfer approved in writing by all the Members;

(b) any transfer by a Member to the spouse, child or remoter issue, brother, sister or parent of that Member;

(c) any transfer by the personal representative of a deceased Member to the widow, widower, child or remoter issue, brother, sister or parent of that deceased Member;

(d) any transfer by the trustees, executors or administrators of a deceased Member to new trustees, executors or administrators upon any change thereof;

(e) any transfer by a corporate Member to an associated company (that is to say the holding company or any subsidiary of such corporate Member and any other subsidiary of such holding company); or

(f) any transfer by a corporate Member to a company formed to acquire the whole or a substantial part of the undertaking and assets of such corporate Member as part of a scheme of amalgamation or reconstruction.

34. The Board may refuse to register any transfer of shares to a person of whom it does not approve. The Board may also refuse to register a transfer of shares:

(a) the registration of which would cause the number of Members to exceed the maximum permitted by Article 4;

(b) on which the Company has a lien;

(c) unless a fee of such amount, not exceeding Shillings one hundred (Shs. 100) as the Board may from time to time prescribe, is paid to the Company in respect thereof;

(d) unless the instrument of transfer is accompanied by the certificate for the shares to which it relates and such other evidence as the Board may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer; and

(e) unless the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of share.

35. If the Board refuses to register a transfer it shall, within sixty days after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged with the Company, send to the transferee notice of the refusal.

36. The registration of transfers may be suspended at such time and for such periods as the Board may from time to time determine, provided always that such registration shall not be suspended for more than thirty days in any year.

37. The Company shall be entitled to charge a fee of such amount, not exceeding Shillings one hundred (Shs. 100) as the Board may from time to time prescribe, on the registration of every probate, letters of administration, certificate of death or marriage, power of attorney or other instrument relating to or affecting the title to any share.

TRANSMISSION OF SHARES

38. In the case of the death of a Member, the survivors or survivor, where the deceased was a joint holder, and the executors or administrators of the deceased where he was a sole or only surviving holder, shall be the only persons recognised by the Company as having any title to his shares; Provided that nothing herein contained shall release the estate of a deceased Member from any liability in respect of any share solely or jointly held by him.

39. Any person becoming entitled to a share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member shall, upon such evidence being produced as may from time to time be required by the Board, have the right either to be registered as a Member in respect of the share or, instead of being registered himself, to make such transfer of the share as the deceased or bankrupt person could have made but the Board shall, in either case, have the same right to refuse or suspend registration as it would have had in the case of a transfer of the share by the deceased or bankrupt person before the death or bankruptcy.

40. A person becoming entitled to a share by reason of the death or bankruptcy of the holder shall be entitled to the same dividends and other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the registered holder of the share except that he shall not, before being registered as the holder of the share, be entitled in respect of it to exercise any right conferred by membership in relation to General Meetings of the Company. The Board may, at any time, give notice requiring any such person to elect either to be registered himself or to transfer the share and, if the notice is not complied with within three months after the date of service thereof, the Board may, thereafter, withhold payment of all dividends and other moneys payable in respect of the share until compliance with the notice has been effected.

FORFEITURE OF SHARES

41. If a Member fails to pay any call or instalment of a call on the day appointed for payment thereof the Board may, at any time thereafter while any part of such call or instalment remains unpaid, serve a notice on him requiring payment of so much of the call or instalment as is unpaid together with any interest which may have accrued and all expenses that may have been incurred by the Company by reason of such non-payment.

42. The notice shall specify a date, not less than fourteen days from the date of service of the notice, on or before which and the place where the payment required by the notice is to be made and shall state that, in the event of non-payment at or before the time and at the place appointed, the shares in respect of which such call was made or instalment is payable will be liable to be forfeited. The Board may accept the surrender of any shares liable to be forfeited hereunder and, in such case, references herein to forfeiture shall include surrender.

43. If the requirements of any such notice are not complied with, any shares in respect of which such notice has been given may, at any time after the date specified therein, before the payment required by the notice has been made, be forfeited by a resolution of the Board to that effect. Such forfeiture shall include all dividends declared in respect of the forfeited shares and not actually paid before the forfeiture.

44. When any shares have been forfeited, notice of the forfeiture shall forthwith be given to the holder of the shares or, as the case may be, to the person entitled to the shares by reason of the death or bankruptcy of the holder but no forfeiture shall be invalidated by any omission or neglect to give such notice as aforesaid.

45. Forfeited shares shall be deemed to be the property of the Company and may be sold, re-allotted or otherwise disposed of upon such terms and in such manner as the Board may think fit but, at any time before a sale, re-allotment or other disposition, the forfeiture may be cancelled on such terms as the Board may determine.

46. A person whose shares have been forfeited shall cease to be a Member in respect of the forfeited shares but shall, notwithstanding, remain liable to pay to the Company all moneys which, at the date of forfeiture, were presently payable by him to the Company in respect of the shares together with interest thereon, from and including the date of forfeiture to and including the date of payment, at such rate, not exceeding fifteen per cent per annum, as the Board may determine.

47. A statutory declaration that the declarant is a Director or the Secretary of the Company and that shares have been duly forfeited on a date stated in the declaration shall be conclusive evidence of the facts stated therein as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the shares. The Company may receive the consideration, if any, given on the sale, re-allotment or disposition of the shares and, in the case of sale, may appoint some person to execute a transfer thereof to the purchaser who, or, as the case may be, the person to whom the shares are re-allotted or otherwise disposed of shall be registered as the holder thereof and shall not be bound to see to the application of the consideration (if any) and whose title to the shares shall not be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, sale, re-allotment or other disposition of the shares.

INCREASE OF CAPITAL

48. The Company may from time to time, by Ordinary Resolution, increase its capital by such sum to be divided into shares of such amounts as the resolution shall prescribe.

ALTERATION OF CAPITAL

49. The Company may, from time to time, by Ordinary Resolution:

(a) consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into shares of larger amount than its existing shares;

(b) sub-divide its shares or any of them into shares of smaller amount than is fixed by the Memorandum of Association (subject, nevertheless, to the provisions of section 63(1)(d) of the Act);

(c) cancel any shares which, at the date of the passing of the Resolution, have not been issued or agreed to be taken by any person and diminish the amount of its share capital by the amount of the shares so cancelled.

REDUCTION OF CAPITAL

50. The Company may from time to time, by Special Resolution, reduce its share capital, any capital redemption reserve fund or any share premium account in any manner and with and subject to any incident authorised and consent required by law.

GENERAL MEETINGS

51. The Company shall, in each year, hold a General Meeting as its Annual General Meeting in addition to any other Meetings in that year and shall specify the Meeting as such in the notices calling it. Not more than fifteen months shall elapse between the date of one Annual General Meeting of the Company and that of the next. So long as the Company holds its first Annual General Meeting within eighteen months of its incorporation, it need not hold it in the year of its incorporation or in the following year. Annual and other General Meetings shall be held at such times and places as the Board shall appoint. All General Meetings, other than Annual General Meetings, shall be called Extraordinary General Meetings.

52. The Board may, whenever it thinks fit, convene an Extraordinary General Meeting and Extraordinary General Meetings shall also be convened on such requisition or, in default, may be convened by such requisitionists as is provided by section 132 of the Act. If, at any, time, there are not within Kenya sufficient Directors capable of acting to form a quorum, any Director or any two Members of the Company may convene an Extraordinary General Meeting in the same manner, as nearly as possible, as that in which Meetings may be convened by the Board.

NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETINGS

53. Every General Meeting shall be called by at least twenty-one days’ notice in writing (exclusive of the day on which it is served or deemed to be served and of the day for which it is given). The notice shall specify the place, the date and the time of such General Meeting and, in case of special business, the nature of that business and shall be given, in manner hereinafter mentioned or any such other manner, if any, as may be prescribed by the Company in General Meeting, to such persons as are, under these Articles, entitled to receive such notices from the Company; Provided that a Meeting may be called by shorter notice than that specified in this Article if so agreed by the Members referred to in and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of section 133(3) of the Act.

54. In every notice calling a Meeting there shall appear, with reasonable prominence, a statement that a Member entitled to attend and vote thereat is entitled to appoint one or more proxies to attend and vote in his stead and that a proxy need not be a Member.

55. The accidental omission to give notice of a Meeting to, or the non-receipt of notice of a Meeting by, any person entitled to receive such notice shall not invalidate the proceedings at that Meeting.

PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS

56. All business shall be deemed special that is transacted at an Extraordinary General Meeting and also all business that is transacted at an Annual General Meeting with the exception of the declaration of dividends, the consideration of the accounts and balance sheets, and any other documents accompanying or annexed thereto, the reports of the Directors and Auditors, the election of Directors, the appointment of Auditors and the fixing of the remuneration of the Directors and Auditors.

57. No business shall be transacted at any General Meeting unless a quorum is present when the Meeting proceeds to business. Save as otherwise provided by these Articles, two Members present in person or by proxy or by attorney or, in the case of a corporation, represented in accordance with Article 79 shall be a quorum, provided that one Member holding the proxy of one or more other Members or one person holding the proxies of two or more Members shall not constitute a quorum.

58. If, within thirty minutes after the time appointed for the Meeting, a quorum is not present, the Meeting, if convened on the requisition of Members, shall be dissolved. In any other case, it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place and if, at such adjourned Meeting, a quorum is not present within thirty minutes after the time appointed for the Meeting, the Meeting shall be dissolved.

59. The Chairman, if any, or in his absence, the Deputy-Chairman, if any, of the Board shall preside at every General Meeting. If there is no such Chairman or Deputy-Chairman or if, at any Meeting, neither is present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for the same or if neither is willing to act as chairman, the Members present shall choose some Director or, if no Director is present or if none of the Directors present is willing to act as chairman, they shall choose some Member present to be chairman of the Meeting.

60. The chairman of any Meeting at which a quorum is present may, with the consent of the Meeting and shall, if so directed by the Meeting, adjourn the Meeting from time to time and from place to place as the Meeting determines but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned Meeting other than the business which might have been transacted at the Meeting from which the adjournment took place. Whenever a Meeting is adjourned for thirty days or more, notice of the adjourned Meeting shall be given in the same manner as in the case of an original Meeting. Save as aforesaid, it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned Meeting.

61. At any General Meeting, a resolution put to the vote of the Meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless (before or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands) a poll is demanded by the chairman of the Meeting or by any Member present in person or by proxy or, in the case of a corporation, represented in accordance with Article 79. Unless a poll is so demanded, a declaration by the chairman of the Meeting that a resolution has, on a show of hands, been carried or carried unanimously or by a particular majority or lost or not carried by a particular majority and an entry to that effect in the book containing the minutes of the proceedings of the Company shall be conclusive evidence of the fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against such resolution.

62. A poll demanded on the election of a chairman or on a question of adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken at such time and place and in such manner as the chairman of the Meeting shall direct.

63. If a poll has been duly demanded, the result of the poll shall be deemed to be a resolution of the Meeting at which the poll was demanded.

64. The demand for a poll shall not prevent the continuance of a Meeting for the transaction of any business other than the question on which a poll has been demanded and such demand may be withdrawn at any time.

65. On a poll votes may be given personally or by proxy or by attorney or by a representative of a corporation appointed in accordance with Article 79.

66. In the case of an equality of votes, either on a show of hands or on a poll, the chairman of the Meeting shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.

67. If any vote shall be counted which ought not to have been counted or might have been rejected, the error shall not vitiate the resolution unless it is pointed out at the same Meeting and not, in that case, unless it shall, in the opinion of the chairman of the Meeting, be of sufficient magnitude to vitiate the resolution.

68. Subject to the provisions of the Act, a resolution in writing signed by all the Members for the time being entitled to receive notice of and to attend and vote at General Meetings or, being corporations, by their representatives appointed in accordance with Article 79, shall be as valid and effective as if the same had been passed at a General Meeting of the Company duly convened and held. Such resolution may be contained in one document or in several documents in like form each signed by one or more of the Members or by their representatives as aforesaid.

VOTES OF MEMBERS

69. Subject to any special terms as to voting upon which any shares may be issued or may for the time being be held, on a show of hands every Member who is present in person or by proxy or, being a corporation, is present by a representative appointed in accordance with Article 79 shall have one vote. On a poll every Member shall have one vote for each share of which he is the holder.

70. No Member shall be entitled to be present at any General Meeting or to vote on any question, either personally or by proxy or by a representative appointed in accordance with Article 79, at any General Meeting or on a poll or to be reckoned in a quorum whilst any call or other sum shall be due and payable to the Company in respect of any of the shares held by him, whether alone or jointly with any other person.

71. In the case of joint holders of a share, the vote of the senior who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy, shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders and, for this purpose, seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names stand in the Register of Members.

72. A Member of unsound mind in respect of whose estate a manager has been appointed under section 26 of the Mental Health Act 1989 may vote, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, by such manager who may, on a poll, vote by proxy.

73. No objection shall be raised to the qualification of any voter except at the Meeting or adjourned Meeting at which the vote objected to is given or tendered and every vote not disallowed at such Meeting shall be valid for all purposes. Any such objection made in due time shall be referred to the chairman of the Meeting whose decision shall be final and conclusive.

74. The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in writing under the hand of the appointor or of his attorney duly authorised in writing or, if the appointor is a corporation, either under its common seal or under the hand of an officer or duly authorised attorney of such corporation. A proxy need not be a Member of the Company but shall be entitled to the same right to address a Meeting as the Member appointing him.

75. The instrument appointing a proxy and the power of attorney or other authority, if any, under which it is signed or a notarially certified copy of that power or authority shall be deposited at the registered office of the Company or at such other place in Kenya as may be specified for that purpose in the notice convening the Meeting not less than twenty-four hours before the time for holding the Meeting or adjourned Meeting at which the person named in the instrument proposes to vote or, in the case of a poll, the time appointed for the taking of the poll and, in default, the instrument of proxy shall not be treated as valid. No instrument appointing a proxy shall be valid after the expiration of twelve months from the date of its execution.

76. An instrument appointing a proxy shall be in the following form or a form as near thereto as circumstances admit:

“***** Kenya Limited
I/We …………………..…………………………….., of ………………………………………………, being a Member/Members of the above-named Company, hereby appoint …………………………….. of ………………………………………………… or failing him ……………………………………… of ………………………………….. as my/our proxy to vote for me/us on my/our behalf at the Annual/Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company to be held on the …………. day of …………… 19.. and at any adjournment thereof.
Signed this ……………… day of ………….. 19..
This form is to be used *in favour of/against the resolution. Unless otherwise instructed, the proxy will vote as he thinks fit.
*Strike out whichever is not desired”.

77. The instrument appointing a proxy shall be deemed to confer authority to demand a poll.

78. A vote given in accordance with the terms of an instrument of proxy shall be valid notwithstanding the previous death or insanity of the principal or revocation of the instrument of proxy or of the authority under which it was executed or the transfer of the share in respect of which the instrument of proxy was given, if no intimation in writing of such death, insanity, revocation or transfer shall have been received by the Company before the commencement of the Meeting or adjourned Meeting or the taking of the poll at which the instrument of proxy is used.

79. Any corporation which is a Member of the Company may, by resolution of its Directors or other governing body or by notification in writing under the hand of some officer of such corporation duly authorised in that behalf, authorise such person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any Meeting of the Company or of the holders of any class of shares of the Company and the person so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of the corporation which he represents as that corporation could exercise if it were an individual Member of the Company.
DIRECTORS

80. The number of Directors shall be not less than two and, unless and until otherwise determined by the Company in General Meeting, shall not exceed seven. The first Directors shall be appointed, in writing, by the subscribers to the Memorandum of Association.

81. The Directors, other than those whose remuneration is determined by agreement between them and the Company, shall be entitled to such remuneration for their services as the Company may, from time to time, in General Meeting determine and such remuneration shall be divided among the Directors in such proportion and manner as they may determine or, failing such determination, equally, except that in such event any Director holding office for less than a year shall only rank in such division in proportion to the period during which he has held office during such year. The Directors shall also be entitled to be reimbursed by the Company in respect of their travelling, hotel and incidental expenses reasonably incurred while engaged on the business of the Company.

82. Any Director who, by request, performs special or extraordinary services or goes or resides abroad on behalf of the Company, may be paid such extra remuneration, whether by way of lump sum, salary, commission, percentage of profits or otherwise, as the Board may determine.

83. A Director need not be a shareholder but shall be entitled to receive notice of and to attend and speak at all General Meetings of the Company or at any separate meeting of the holders of any class of shares of the Company.

84. Any Director may appoint another Director or any other person who is approved by the Directors to be his Alternate to act in his place at any meetings of the Board at which he is unable to be present. Such appointee shall be entitled, in the absence of his appointor, to exercise all the rights and powers of a Director and to attend and vote at meetings of the Board at which his appointor is not personally present and, where he is a Director, to have a separate vote on behalf of his appointor in addition to his own vote. A Director may, at any time, revoke the appointment of an Alternate appointed by him. The appointment of an Alternate shall be revoked, ipso facto, if his appointor ceases for any reason to be a Director. Every appointment and revocation under this Article shall be effected by notice in writing under the hand of the appointor served on the Company and on such Alternate.

85. The remuneration of an Alternate shall be payable out of the remuneration of his appointor and shall be such proportion thereof as shall be agreed between them.

86. An Alternate whose appointor is a Member of the Company shall, in the absence of a direction to the contrary in the instrument appointing him, be entitled to receive notice of and to vote at General Meetings of the Company as if he had been appointed a proxy of his appointor under the provisions of these Articles.

87. A Director shall vacate office as such if:

(a) he is removed from office pursuant to section 185 of the Act or by a Special Resolution of the Company in General Meeting;

(b) he ceases to be a Director by virtue of section 186 of the Act;

(c) he becomes bankrupt or makes an arrangement or composition with his creditors generally;

(d) he becomes prohibited from being a Director by reason of any order made under section 189 of the Act;

(e) he becomes of unsound mind;

(f) he fails, without reasonable cause and without the consent of the Board, to attend three consecutive meetings of the Board and the Board resolves that, by reason of such failure, he shall cease to be a Director; or

(g) he resigns his office by notice in writing to the Company.

88. The Board may, at any time and from time to time, appoint a person to be a Director to fill a casual vacancy or as an addition to the Board but so that the total number of Directors shall not at any time exceed the maximum number fixed by or in accordance with these Articles.

89. The Company may, by Ordinary Resolution, appoint another person in place of a Director who has vacated office as such under Article 87 and, without prejudice to the powers of the Directors under Article 88, the Company may, by Ordinary Resolution, appoint any person to be a Director either to fill a casual vacancy or as an additional Director.

90. ROTATION OF DIRECTORS

91. At every Annual General Meeting of the Company one-third of the Directors or, if their number is not three or a multiple of three, the number nearest but not exceeding one-third shall retire from office.

92. The Directors to retire at an Annual General Meeting shall be those who have been longest in office. As regards persons who became Directors on the same day those to retire shall, unless otherwise agreed between and among themselves, be determined by lot.

93. A Director retiring by rotation shall be eligible for re-election.

DIRECTORS’ CONTRACTS

94. A Director may contract with and be interested in any way, whether directly or indirectly, in any actual or proposed contract or arrangement with the Company, either as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, and shall not be liable to account for any profit made by him by reason of any such contract or arrangement, provided that the nature of the interest of the Director in such contract or arrangement is declared at the meeting of the Board at which the question is first taken into consideration if his interest then exists or, in any other case, at the next meeting of the Board held after he became interested and it shall be the duty of the Director so to declare his interest. No Director shall vote as a Director in respect of any contract or arrangement in which he is interested and, if he does vote, his vote shall not be counted but he shall, nevertheless, be counted in the quorum present at the meeting. These prohibitions may, at any time, be suspended or relaxed, to any extent, by the Company in General Meeting and they shall not apply:

(a) to any arrangement for giving a Director any security for advances or by way of indemnity or to any allotment to or any contract or arrangement for the underwriting or subscription by a Director of shares or securities of the Company; or

(b) to any contract or dealing in which the Director is interested by reason only of his being a director or other officer, employee or nominee of any government or corporation or company which, being a Member of the Company or holding shares in a corporation or company which is a Member of the Company, is interested in such contract or dealing whether directly or indirectly and this exception shall not cease to have effect merely by reason of the fact that the Director is also a shareholder or creditor of any such government, corporation or company or of any corporation or company in which it is interested.

For the purpose of this Article, a general notice given to the Board by a Director at any meeting of the Board to the effect that he is a member of a specified corporation, company or firm and is to be regarded as interested in any contract which may, after the date of the notice, be made with that corporation, company or firm, shall be deemed to be a sufficient declaration of interest in relation to any contract so made.

95. A Director may hold office as a director or manager of or be otherwise interested in any other company or any corporation in which the Company is in any way interested and shall not, unless otherwise agreed, be liable to account to the Company for any remuneration or other benefits receivable by him from such other company or such corporation.

96. A Director may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company, except that of Auditor, in conjunction with his office of Director and on such terms as to remuneration and otherwise as the Board shall arrange.

97. A Director may act by himself or his firm in a professional capacity for the Company, except as Auditor of the Company, and he or his firm shall be entitled to remuneration for professional services as if he were not a Director.

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD

98. The Board may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow or raise money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property and uncalled capital or any part thereof and to issue income notes, bonds, debentures and other securities.

99. The business of the Company shall be managed by the Board which may pay all such expenses of and preliminary and incidental to the promotion, formation, establishment and registration of the Company as it thinks fit and may exercise all such powers of the Company as are not by the Act or by these Articles required to be exercised by the Company in General Meeting (subject nevertheless to the provisions of these Articles and of the Act) and to such regulations, being not inconsistent with such provisions, as may be prescribed by the Company in General Meeting but no regulation made by the Company in General Meeting shall invalidate any prior act of the Board which would have been valid if such regulation had not been made. The general powers given by this Article shall not be limited or restricted by any special authority or power given to the Board by any other Article.

100. The Board may establish any local boards or agencies for managing any of the affairs of the Company, either in Kenya or elsewhere, and may appoint any persons to be members of such local boards or managers or agents and may fix their remuneration and may delegate to any local board, manager or agent any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in the Board, with power to sub-delegate, and may authorise the members of any local board or any of them to fill any vacancies therein and to act notwithstanding vacancies. Any such appointment or delegation may be made upon such terms and subject to such conditions as the Board may think fit and the Board may remove any person so appointed and may annul or vary any such delegation but no person dealing in good faith and without notice of any such annulment or variation shall be affected thereby.

101. The Board may, by power of attorney, appoint any person or any fluctuating body of persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Board, to be the attorney of the Company for such purposes and with such powers, authorities and discretions, not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Board under these Articles, and for such period and subject to such conditions as it may think fit. Any such power of attorney may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such attorney as the Board may think fit and may also authorise any such attorney to sub-delegate all or any of the powers authorities and discretions vested in him.

102. The Company may exercise the powers conferred by section 37 of the Act with regard to having an official Seal for use outside Kenya and such powers shall be vested in the Board.

103. The Company may exercise the power conferred by section 121 of the Act with regard to the keeping of a branch Register and the Board may, subject to the provisions of section 122 of the Act, make and vary such regulations as it may think fit regarding the keeping of any such branch Register.

104. All cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable and transferable instruments and all receipts for moneys paid to the Company shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed as the case may be in such manner as the Board shall from time to time determine.

105. The Board shall cause Minutes to be made, in books provided for the purpose, recording, in respect of every Meeting of the Company, of the Board and of committees formed by the Board, the names of all persons present and all resolutions and proceedings at such Meeting. The Minutes of every such Meeting shall be read at the next Meeting of the Company, of the Board or of the committee, as the case may be, and, after being amended or corrected, if necessary, and approved by the Meeting, shall be signed by the chairman of the Meeting and, once so signed, shall be prima facie evidence of the matters stated therein.

106. The Board may grant pensions, annuities, gratuities or other allowances on death, sickness, disability or retirement to any person who is or has been employed by or in the service of the Company or of its holding company or any subsidiary company of the Company or to any person who is or has been a Director or other officer of the Company or of its holding company or any such subsidiary company and to the widow, family or dependants of any such person. The Board may establish and maintain or concur with such holding or subsidiary company (if any) as aforesaid in establishing and maintaining any schemes or funds for providing such benefits as aforesaid and may pay out of the funds of the Company any premiums, contributions or sums payable by the Company under the provisions of any such scheme or fund.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD

107. The Board may meet together for the despatch of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate its Meetings as it thinks fit. Questions arising at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes. In case of an equality of votes, the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote. The Secretary, on the instructions of the Chairman or on the requisition of a Director, shall at any time summon a Board meeting. At least seven days’ notice (inclusive of the date of service and the date of meeting) of all Board meetings shall, unless waived by all Directors, be given in manner hereinafter mentioned to all Directors and Alternates.

108. The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the Board shall be two Directors present either personally or by Alternate, provided that one person whether a Director or not, although a duly appointed Alternate for any number of Directors, shall not constitute a quorum.

109. The continuing Directors may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body but, if and so long as their number is reduced below the minimum number fixed by these Articles as the necessary quorum for Board Meetings, the continuing Directors may act for the purposes of increasing the number of Directors to that number or of summoning a General Meeting of the Company but not for any other purpose.

110. The Board may elect a Chairman and Deputy-Chairman of its meetings and determine the periods for which they, respectively, are to hold office. If no such Chairman or Deputy-Chairman is elected or if at any meeting neither the Chairman nor the Deputy-Chairman is present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the same, the Directors present may choose one of their number to be chairman of the meeting.

111. A meeting of the Board at which a quorum is present shall be competent to exercise all powers and discretions for the time being exercisable by the Board.

112. The Board may form committees of its members or consisting of one or more of its members and others and may delegate any of its powers to any such committee. Any committee so formed shall, in the exercise of the powers so delegated, conform to any regulations that may be imposed on it by the Board.

113. The meetings and proceedings of any committee consisting of two or more persons shall be governed by the provisions herein contained for regulating the meetings and proceedings of the Board so far as the same are applicable and are not superseded by any regulations imposed by the Board under the last preceding Article.

114. A resolution in writing signed or approved by letter, telegram, telex or fax by all the Directors or by all the members of a committee shall be as valid and effectual as a resolution passed at a meeting of the Board or, as the case may be, of such committee duly called and constituted. Such resolution may be contained in one document or in several documents in like form each signed by one or more of the Directors or members of the committee concerned.

115. All acts done by the Board or any committee or by any person acting as a Director shall, notwithstanding that it is afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any Director or person acting as aforesaid or that he or any Director or member of such committee had vacated office or was not entitled to vote, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and had continued to be a Director or member of such committee and to be entitled to vote.

MANAGING DIRECTOR

116. The Board may from time to time appoint one or more of its body to the office of Managing Director for such period and upon such terms as it thinks fit and, subject to the provisions of any agreement entered into in any particular case, may revoke such appointment. The appointment of a Director holding such office shall (without prejudice to any claim he may have for damages for breach of any contract of service between him and the Company) ipso facto determine if he ceases from any cause to be a Director. A Director appointed to the office of Managing Director shall not, while holding that office, be subject to retirement by rotation or be taken into account in determining the rotation of Directors.

117. A Managing Director shall receive such remuneration (whether by way of salary, commission, participation in profits or otherwise) as the Board may determine and either in addition to or in lieu of his remuneration as a Director.

118. The Board may entrust to and confer upon a Managing Director any of the powers exercisable by it, other than the powers to borrow money, charge the property and assets of the Company and pay dividends, upon such terms and conditions and with such restrictions as it thinks fit and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of its own powers and may from time to time, subject to the terms of any agreement entered into in any particular case, revoke, withdraw, alter or vary all or any of such powers.

SECRETARY

119. The Secretary shall be appointed by the Board for such term, at such remuneration and upon such conditions as it may think fit and the appointment of any Secretary may be terminated by the Board. The provisions of sections 178 to 180 inclusive of the Act shall be observed.

THE SEAL

120. The Board shall provide for the safe custody of the Seal which shall only be used by the authority of the Board or a committee authorised by the Board in that behalf and every instrument to which the Seal shall be affixed shall be signed by a Director and by the Secretary or by a second Director or by some other person appointed by the Board for that purpose.

DIVIDENDS AND RESERVES

121. The Company may, in General Meeting, declare dividends but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the Board.

122. The Board may, from time to time, pay to the Members such interim dividends as appear to the Board to be justified by the profits of the Company.

123. No dividend shall be paid otherwise than out of profits.

124. Subject to the rights of any persons entitled to shares with special rights as to dividends, all dividends shall be declared and paid according to the amounts paid up on the shares in respect whereof the dividends are declared but no amount paid or credited as paid on a share in advance of calls shall be treated for the purposes of this Article as paid up on the share. A dividend shall be apportioned and paid pro rata according to the amounts paid up on the shares during any portion or portions of the period in respect of which the dividend is paid but, if any share be issued on terms providing that it shall rank for dividend as from a particular date, such share shall rank for dividend accordingly.

125. The Board may deduct from any dividend payable on a share any sums of money presently payable, by the person to whom the dividend is payable, to the Company on account of calls or otherwise.

126. The Board may retain any dividend or other money payable on or in respect of a share on which the Company has a lien and may apply the same in or towards satisfaction of the debts, liabilities or engagements in respect of which the lien exists.

127. No dividend shall bear interest against the Company.

128. With the sanction of a General Meeting, any dividend may be paid wholly or in part by the distribution of specific assets and, in particular, of paid-up shares or debentures of any other company or in any one or more of such ways. Where any difficulty arises in regard to such distribution, the Board may settle the same as it deems expedient and, in particular, may issue fractional certificates and fix the value for distribution of such specific assets or any part thereof and may determine that cash payments shall be made to any Member upon the footing of the value so fixed in order to adjust the rights of all Members and may vest any such specific assets in trustees upon trust for the Members entitled to the dividend as may seem expedient to the Board.

129. Any dividend, interest or other sum payable in cash to the holder of shares may be paid by cheque or warrant sent through the post addressed to such holder at his registered address or, in the case of joint holders, addressed to the holder whose name stands first on the Register of Members in respect of the shares. Every such cheque or warrant shall, unless the holder otherwise directs, be made payable to the order of the registered holder or, in the case of joint holders, to the order of the holder whose name stands first on the Register of Members in respect of such shares and shall be sent at his or their risk. Any one of two or more joint holders may give effectual receipts for any dividends or other moneys payable in respect of the shares held by such joint holders.

130. The Board may, before recommending any dividend, set aside out of the profits of the Company such sum as it thinks proper as a reserve which shall, at the discretion of the Board, be applicable for any purpose to which the profits of the Company may be properly applied and pending such application may, at the like discretion, either be employed in the business of the Company or be invested in such investments (other than shares of the Company or its holding company, if any) as the Board may from time to time think fit. The Board may also, without placing the same to reserve, carry forward any profits which it may think prudent not to divide.

CAPITALIZATION OF PROFITS

131. The Company in General Meeting may, upon the recommendation of the Board, resolve that it is desirable to capitalise any part of the amount for the time being standing to the credit of any of the Company’s reserve accounts or of any share premium account or of the profit and loss account or otherwise available for distribution and, accordingly, that such sum be set free for distribution amongst the Members who would have been entitled thereto if distributed by way of dividend and in the same proportions, on condition that the same be not paid in cash but be applied either in or towards paying up any amounts for the time being unpaid on any shares held by such Members respectively or paying up in full unissued shares, income notes or debentures of the Company to be allotted and distributed, credited as fully paid up, to and amongst such Members in the proportions aforesaid or partly in the one way and partly in the other and the Board shall give effect to such resolution; Provided that amounts standing to the credit of a share premium account or a capital redemption reserve fund may, for the purposes of this Article, only be applied in the paying up of unissued shares to be issued to Members of the Company as fully paid bonus shares.

132. Whenever such a resolution as aforesaid shall have been passed the Board shall make all such appropriations and applications of the undivided profits, allotments and issues of fully paid shares, income notes or debentures as may be required thereby and shall do all acts and things required to give effect thereto, with full power to the Board to acquire fractions or to make such provisions by the issue of fractional certificates or by payment in cash or otherwise as it thinks fit for the case of shares or debentures becoming distributable in fractions, and also to authorise any person to enter on behalf of all the Members entitled thereto into an agreement with the Company providing for the allotment to them respectively, credited as fully paid up, of any shares, income notes or debentures to which they may be entitled upon such capitalisation or, as the case may require, for the payment up by the Company on their behalf, by the application thereto of their respective proportions of the profits resolved to be capitalised, of the amounts or any part of the amounts remaining unpaid on their existing shares, and any agreement made under such authority shall be effective and binding on all such Members.

ACCOUNTS

133. The Board shall cause proper books of account to be kept with respect to:

(a) all sums of money received and expended by the Company and the matters in respect of which such receipt and expenditure takes place;

(b) all sales and purchases of goods by the Company; and

(c) the assets and liabilities of the Company.

134. The books of account shall be kept at the registered office of the Company or at such other place or places in Kenya as the Board deems fit and shall always be open to the inspection of the Directors.

135. The Board may, from time to time, determine whether and to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions or regulations the accounts and books of the Company or any of them shall be open to the inspection of Members not being Directors and no Member, not being a Director, shall have any right of inspecting any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by statute or authorised by the Directors or by the Company in General Meeting.

136. The Directors shall from time to time, in accordance with sections 148 to 152 inclusive, and 154, 155 and 157 of the Act, cause to be prepared and to be laid before the Company in General Meeting such profit and loss accounts, balance sheets and reports as are referred to in those sections.

137. A copy of every balance sheet, including every document required by law to be annexed thereto, which is to be laid before the Company in General Meeting, together with a copy of the Auditor’s report, shall, not less than twenty-one days before the date of the Meeting, be sent to every Member of and every holder of income notes or debentures of the Company.

AUDIT

138. Auditors shall be appointed and their duties regulated in accordance with sections 159 to 162 of the Act.

NOTICES

139. Any notice or other document may be served by the Company on any Member or Director either personally or by sending it through the post (by airmail where such service is available) in a prepaid letter or by telegram, telex or fax addressed to such Member or Director at his registered address as appearing in the Register of Members or the Company’s other records, whether such address shall be within or outside Kenya, or by telegram, telex or fax addressed as aforesaid. In the case of joint holders of a share, all notices shall be given to that one of the joint holders whose name stands first in the Register of Members and notice so given shall be sufficient notice to all the joint holders.

140. Where a notice or other document is sent by post it shall be deemed to have been served on the third day after the day on which it was posted, if addressed within Kenya, and on the seventh day after the day on which it was posted if addressed outside Kenya. In proving such service or sending, it shall be sufficient to prove that the cover containing the notice or document was properly addressed and put into the post office as a prepaid letter or prepaid airmail letter. Where a notice is sent by telegram, telex or fax it shall be deemed to have been served at the expiration of twenty-four hours after the time at which it was sent.

141. A notice may be given by the Company to the person entitled to any share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member by sending it through the post in a prepaid cover or by telegram, telex or fax addressed to him by name or by the title of representative or trustee of such deceased or bankrupt member or any like description at the address supplied for the purpose by the person claiming to be so entitled or by giving the notice in the manner in which the same would have been given if the death or bankruptcy had not occurred.

142. Notice of every General Meeting shall be given in some manner authorised above to every Member, to every person upon whom the ownership of a share devolves by reason of his being a personal representative or trustee in bankruptcy of a Member where the Member, but for his death or bankruptcy, would have been entitled to receive notice of the Meeting, to the Directors of the Company and also to the Auditors for the time being of the Company.

WINDING UP

143. If the Company shall be wound up, the liquidator may, with the sanction of a Special Resolution of the Company and any other sanction required by the Act, divide amongst the Members, in specie or in kind, the whole or any part of the assets of the Company (whether they shall consist of property of the same kind or not) and may, for such purpose, set such value as he deems fair upon any property to be divided as aforesaid and may determine how such division shall be carried out as between the Members or different classes of Members. The liquidator may, with the like sanction, vest the whole or any part of such assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the Members as the liquidator, with the like sanction, shall think fit but so that no Member shall be compelled to accept any shares or other securities whereupon there is any liability.

INDEMNITY

144. Every Director, Managing Director, Agent, Auditor, Secretary and other officer for the time being of the Company shall be indemnified out of the assets of the Company against any liability incurred by him in defending any proceedings, whether civil or criminal, relating to anything done or not done by him on behalf of the Company in which judgement is given in his favour or in which he is acquitted or in connection with any application under section 402 of the Act in which relief is granted to him by the Court and he shall not be liable for any loss, damage or misfortune which may happen to or be incurred by the Company in the execution of the duties of his office or in relation thereto. This Article shall however only have effect in so far as its provisions are not avoided by section 206 of the Act.

Names, Postal Addresses and
Occupations of Subscribers           Signatures of Subscribers

Categories: Law Tags:

Societies in Kenya

December 30th, 2009 7 comments

Societies in Kenya are registered under the Societies Act Cap 108. A society can either be registered or exempted from registration. Read more…

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Intellectual Property

December 30th, 2009 2 comments

Theft of confidential information and trade secrets can be just as damaging to your business as embezzlement or other employee fraud. Help protect your competitive advantage with these tips. Read more…

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Benefits of Fighting Corruption

December 30th, 2009 No comments

Causes of corruption in Kenya include:

  • Bad governance
  • Political patronage\lack of political will
  • Breakdown/erosion/perversion of societal values and norms.
  • Non enforcement of the law.
  • Tribalism, faviouritism, nepotism and cronyism
  • Weak or absence of management systems,
  • Procedures and practices.
  • Misuse of discretionary power vested I individuals or offices.
  • Weak civil society and apathy.
  • Lack of professional integrity
  • Lack of transparency and accountability
  • Inefficient public sector
  • Greed

Effects of corruption

These include:

  • Poor infrastructure e.g. impassable roads, poor telephone network.
  • Increased cost of goods and services
  • Increased poverty.
  • Shoddy work and stalled projects
  • Poor medial services (e.g. lack of medicine and doctors)
  • Reduced investments in our economy.
  • Unemployment
  • Rise in crime rate and insecurity
  • Delay denial and sale of justice in our public land, property and utilities.
  • Social unrest.
  • Negative international image.

Benefits of fighting corruption

If we join hands infighting corruption:

Our economy will grow and:

  • Increase public revenue.
  • Create more jobs.
  • Fund our social services.
  • Improve our infrastructure.
  • Provide better health care.
  • Alleviate poverty.
  • Improve our living standards.
  • Make us stand proud among nations.
  • We will have a caring society.
  • Our resources will be used to develop the country.
  • The crime rate will decline and we shall have improved security.
  • We shall produce quality products at affordable prices.
  • There will be increased investor confidence in our country
  • There will be peace and stability in our country.
Categories: Law Tags: , , , ,

Copyright Law in Kenya

December 30th, 2009 6 comments

Kenya Copyright Board

The Kenya Copyright Board is comprised of 17 members drawn from both the public and private sectors. From the Private sector, there are seven members representing the software, producers of sound recordings, publishers, film distributors, performers, broadcasting stations and audio visual industry. There are four experts on copyright and related rights and five representatives from the Office of the Attorney General, Commissioner of Police, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Gender, Sports and Culture, and the Ministry of Finance and an Executive Director.

History Of the Kenya Copyright Board

The Kenya Copyright Board was created as a statutory body by the Copyright Act No. 12 of 2001. The first Board was appointed in May 2001. Under the Act, the Board takes over the functions of what was known as the copyright section within the Department of the Registrar General, Office of the Attorney General.

Functions

The Board is mandated to administer and enforce copyright and related rights in Kenya . The Board may thus;

Direct, co ordinate and oversee the implementation of laws, international treaties to which Kenya is party to.

  • Licence and supervise the activities of Collective Management Organisations
  • Devise and carry out training and sensitisation programs on copyright and related rights in Kenya
  • Update copyright legislation
  • Maintain an effective database on copyright and related rights in Kenya .

Registration

Requirements

Original musical, literary, artistic, audio visual works sound recordings and broadcasts shall be eligible for copyright protection.

Procedure for Registration of Copyright Works

To be accepted for registration, a work must be original and must be expressed in writing or any other form. Originality in the Copyright sense means that the work must not have copied from somebody else.

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Companies in Kenya: Company Law

December 30th, 2009 18 comments

Companies in Kenya are regulated and registered under the Companies Act Cap 486 of the Laws of Kenya. Kenya’s Companies Act is based upon the English Companies Act of 1948, and hence there is a lot of similarity between Kenyan law and English law in relation to companies.

There are essentially four types of companies that may exist in Kenya today. These are

  • Companies limited by shares
  • Companies limited by guarantee
  • Unlimited companies
  • Representative Offices (Foreign companies)

Companies limited by shares

A company is limited by shares where the liability of a member to contribute to the company’s assets is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on his shares.

Such companies must have a share capital. These types of companies are the most common and prevalent in Kenya. Companies limited by shares are commonly registered as ‘for profit’ organizations and are of two types-

Private limited Companies

A private company is defined in the Act (Section 30) as one which by its articles

(a) Restricts the right to transfer its shares; and
(b) Limits the number of its members to fifty, exclusive of persons in the employment of the company and of persons formerly in the company’s employment;
(c) Prohibits any invitation to the public to subscribe for any shares or debentures of the company, and certifies in its annual return that it has not issued any prospectus to the public to subscribe to its shares or debentures.

Further, a private company may be an ordinary private company or an exempt private company.

An exempt private company is a private company which satisfies the following conditions-

  • No body corporate holds any of its shares or debentures.
  • No person other than the holder has any interests in its shares or debentures.
  • The number of debenture holders does not exceed fifty.
    No body corporate is a director.
  • No person other than the directors, members or debenture holders can determine the company’s policy.
  • The benefits of any private company are that it need only have two members and may have only one director (although it must have a secretary, and the sole director cannot be the secretary).
  • Further, a private company can commence business (and make binding contracts, and exercise its borrowing power, if any), immediately on incorporation. Another advantage is that a private company need not hold a statutory meeting or send a statutory report to its members Sec 130 (10).

Exempt private companies in addition enjoy certain other benefits such as with regard to reporting requirements and auditing requirements.

This type of company is preferred by most ‘for profit’ organizations as it has relatively easy procedures for registration under the Companies Act, and the requirements for reporting are easier and less stringent than for public companies.

Public limited companies

Public limited companies are registered companies that have a minimum number of seven members. Most public companies are initially private companies that are subsequently converted to public companies when they invite members of the public to subscribe to their shares and debentures.

There is a requirement under the Companies Act that when the membership of a private company exceeds fifty, then it must convert to a public company.

Public companies are seldom used except in the case of companies quoted on the Nairobi Stock Exchange and for purposes related to the control of dealings in agricultural land. Even then, it is usual to incorporate as a private company and convert subsequently.

Charitable and other companies

Where it is proved to the satisfaction of the Attorney-General (through the objects clause of the memorandum of association) that an association about to be formed as a limited company is to be formed for promoting commerce, art, science, religion, charity or any other useful object, and intends to apply its profits, if any, or other income in promoting its objects, and to prohibit the payment of any dividend to its members, the Attorney-General may by licence direct that the association may be registered as a company with limited liability, without the addition of the ‘limited’ to its name, and the association may be registered accordingly and shall, on registration, enjoy all the privileges and (subject to the provisions of the Companies Act) be subject to all the obligations of limited companies (with regard to reporting requirements and audits).

This provision is only of importance in that it does away with the requirement for the name of the company to include the term “limited”. Other than this, it is of no actual relevant importance, as all other requirements of limited liability companies have to be complied with.

Whereas companies may be registered for non-profit objects, this is not a common occurrence in Kenya as the companies are nevertheless obliged to be run as other ‘for profit’ companies. They are required to file annual returns, required to have directors and a company secretary and are subject to taxes like any other ‘for profit’ company.

Companies limited by guarantee

A company limited by guarantee may be formed either with or without a share capital, but is usually formed without a share capital. Under Section 5 (3) of the Companies Act, the memorandum of a company limited by guarantee must state that each member undertakes to contribute a specified sum towards the assets of the company in the event of its being wound up while he is a member, or within one year after he ceases to be a member.

The amounts which the members have agreed to contribute in a winding up cannot be mortgaged or charged while the company is a going concern.

Every company limited by guarantee, whether it has a share capital or not, is obliged to register articles of association with the memorandum.

The memorandum or articles of a company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital cannot give any person a right to participate in the divisible profits of the company, except than as a member, and every provision in the memorandum or articles purporting to divide the undertaking of the company into shares or interests is treated as a provision for share capital, notwithstanding that the nominal amount or number of the shares is not specified.

If the company has a share capital, it must make an annual return like any other limited liability company. If it has no share capital, it must make an annual return stating (under Section 126 of the Companies Act)-

  • The address of the registered office.
  • If the register of members is not kept at the registered office, the address of the place where it is kept.
  • The particulars of the directors and the secretary, which are required to be kept in the register of directors and secretaries.
  • Particulars of the total amount of the company’s indebtedness in respect of all mortgages and charges required to be registered with the Registrar.

Such companies are usually formed to incorporate professional, trade and research associations, and clubs supported by annual subscription. They can also be utilized for registration of charitable and not for profit organizations.

As a matter of administrative practice, the Registrar of Companies will not incorporate companies which are limited by guarantee without prior clearance from Special Branch (a police department under the Office of the President). The process for obtaining this clearance is time-consuming and uncertain, and as a result very few of such companies, if any at all, have been registered as such.

Companies with unlimited liability

A company may be registered as an unlimited liability company, in which case there is no limitation of the members’ liability for the debts of the company. Such companies are not often formed today. The company is obliged to register articles with the memorandum of association. The articles must state the number of members with which the company proposes to be registered and, if the company has a share capital, the amount of the share capital. The name will not, of course, include the word ‘limited’ and there will be no limitation of liability clause in the memorandum.

If the company has a share capital it must make an annual return like any other limited liability company. If the company has no share capital, it must make returns similar to that made by a company limited by guarantee that has no share capital (as had been earlier defined).

Representative Offices of foreign companies

A representative office is registered as a foreign company under Section 365 of the Companies Act. A certified true copy of the constitution of the company or a translation of the same (notarized if not from a commonwealth country), names of directors and their addresses are required for registration of the office.

There is also required the name and address of the person in Kenya who will accept service on behalf of the company. There is requirement for a form to be signed and filled in with the above details. There is no requirement for stamp duty, but filing and registration fees are payable.

After all these formalities are fulfilled, then one obtains a Certificate of Compliance with Sections 365 and 366 of the Companies Act. It takes three weeks or so to obtain such certificate. The representative office requires a trade license, an immigration certificate, but no other licenses other than these.

Representative offices can be used for non-profit purposes, as they are not liable to pay local taxes where there is no income generated by them as all contracts entered into by them may be deemed to be contracts of the parent company.

Societies

The law relating to societies in Kenya is contained in the Societies Act Cap 108 of the Laws of Kenya. A Society is defined to include any club, company, partnership or other association of ten or more persons, whatever its nature or object, established in Kenya or having its headquarters or chief place of business in Kenya, and any branch of a society, but does not include,

  • A company or a foreign company as defined under the Companies Act.
  • Any corporation incorporated by or under any other written law.
  • A registered trade union within the meaning of the Trade Unions, including a branch of a trade union registered under that Act.
  • A company, firm, association or partnership consisting of not more than twenty persons, formed and maintained with a view to carrying on business for profit.
  • A co-operative society registered as such under any written law.
  • A school registered under the Education Act, advisory council, Board of Governors, District Education Board, school committee or similar organization established under or in accordance with the provisions of any written law relating to education.
  • A building society as defined by the Building Societies Act.
  • A bank licensed under the Banking Act.
  • Any international organization of which Kenya is a member, or any branch, section or organ of any such organization.
  • Any combination or association which the Minister may, by order, declare not to be a society for the purposes of this Act.

The effect of the foregoing is that the type of organizations that may be registered as societies is severely limited by the Act. However, this is the primary method (other than as NGOs) by which charitable and not for profit organizations may be registered.

A society may be a registered society or an exempt society. Societies are exempt when they do not have to comply with certain requirements of societies such as rendering accounts and annual returns to the Registrar.

Applications for registration or for exemption from registration for societies are made to the Registrar of Societies together with a copy of the society’s constitution and rules.

The Registrar shall consider every application for registration of a society or for exemption from registration and shall communicate his decision thereon to the society within one hundred and twenty days of receipt of the application.

Upon registering a society or exempting it from registration, the Registrar shall issue to the society a certificate of registration or exemption from registration in the prescribed form.

The Registrar of Societies is given a wide and unfettered discretion in registering or refusing registration to organizations, although a society aggrieved by the decision of the Registrar may appeal first to the Minister and thereafter to the High Court

In Kenya, the type of organizations that are registered as societies include political parties, self-help groups, neighborhood associations and a wide variety of charitable associations. Registration is often easily granted to most such organizations, except for political parties, which are thoroughly scrutinized and vetted before they are registered or refused registration.

Community Based Organizations (CBOs)

Community based organizations are administered in Kenya by the Department of Social Services under the Ministry of Culture and Social Services.

The civic organizations ordinarily registered under this option consist of community groups operating in fairly limited administrative areas such as locations and divisions within the district.

The majority of such organizations are self-help groups that are involved in commercial or developmental activities for the benefit of a community in a geographical area.

Such organizations operate in a relatively ad-hoc manner and do not have a constitution or any rules that govern them.

enewal of the registration is required to be made annually, although the District Social Development office rarely enforces this requirement.

Whereas CBOs are not registered as societies under the Societies Act, where the activities of a particular CBO is deemed by the Registrar of Societies to be of a nature requiring that it be registered as a society, then he may, by notice, require that the CBO concerned apply for registration as a society under the Act.

Trusts

Incorporation of trustees is provided for in Kenya by The Trustees (Perpetual Succession) Act Cap 164 of the Laws of Kenya. Section 3 (1) of the Trustees Act states that Trustees who have been appointed by any body or association of persons established for any religious, educational, literary, scientific, social, athletic or charitable purpose, or who have constituted themselves for any such purpose, may apply to the Minister (in this case, the Attorney General) in the manner provided in this Act for a certificate of incorporation of the trustees as a body corporate. The trustees are required to furnish-

  • The objects and constitution of the trust concerned, together with the date of, and parties to, every deed, will or other instrument, if any, creating constituting or regulating it.
  • A statement and short description of the property or interest therein which at the date of the application is held or intended to be held by the trustees.
  • A statement as to whether the trust concerned is a society registered or exempted from registration under the Societies Act, or is incorporated under the Companies Act, together with the relevant certificate of registration, exemption or incorporation.
  • The names and addresses of the trustees.
  • The proposed title of the corporate body, of which title the words ‘trustees’ and ‘registered’ shall form part.
  • The proposed device of the common seal and the regulations for the custody and use of the common seal.If the Attorney General, having regard to the extent, nature and objects and other circumstances of the trust concerned, considers incorporation expedient, he may grant a certificate accordingly, subject to such conditions or directions generally as he thinks fit to insert in the certificate, and particularly relating to the qualifications and number of the trustees, their tenure and avoidance of office, the mode of appointing new trustees, the custody and use of the common seal, the amount of movable or immovable property which the trustees may hold, and the purposes for which that property may be applied.The trustees shall thereupon become a body corporate by the name described in the certificate, and shall have perpetual succession and a common seal, and power to sue and be sued in their corporate name and, subject to the conditions and directions contained in the certificate, to hold and acquire, and by instruments under the common seal to convey, transfer, assign charge and demise any movable or immovable property or any interest therein then or thereafter belonging to, or held for the benefit of, the trust concerned in the same manner and subject to such restrictions and provisions as trustees might so do without incorporation.

    The property of the trust shall then vest in the Trustees as a body corporate.

    The body corporate shall then be administered according to the objects and constitution (the trust deed) of the particular trust concerned that were furnished to the Attorney General prior to the incorporation of the trust.
    Thus, one or more trustees may be incorporated to represent a non-profit organization, and there is no requirement for a minimum number of members of the organization.

    There is no requirement of capital or minimum capital for the organization. The procedure for incorporation is well laid out, and in Kenya, once the Attorney General’s consent has been obtained, incorporation of the trust can usually be accomplished within a relatively short period of time.

Trade Unions

Trade Unions in Kenya are regulated under the Trade Unions Act Cap 233 of the Laws of Kenya. A trade union is defined as

(a) An association or combination, whether temporary or permanent, of more than six persons (other than a staff association, employees’ association, or employees’ organization not deemed to be a trade union), the principal objects of which are under its constitution the regulation of the relations between employees and employers, or between employees and employees, or between employers and employers, whether such combination would or would not have been deemed to have been an unlawful combination by reason of some or more of its purposes being in restraint of trade.

(b) An association or combination of trade unions.

Trade Unions in Kenya are required to be registered under the Act to acquire juridical capacity.

All such applications for registration are to be made to the Registrar of Trade Unions in the forms prescribed under the Act, and shall be signed by at least seven members of the union.

No trade union shall perform any act in furtherance of the purposes for which it has been formed unless application has been made by that union for registration.

If any trade union does not apply for registration then the trade union shall not enjoy any of the rights, immunities or privileges of a registered or probationary trade union but shall be subject to any liabilities incurred by the trade union and shall be dissolved as from the date required by any notice in writing from the Registrar requiring such dissolution.

Registered trade unions acquire juridical capacity and immunity from civil suits in respect of any act done in contemplation or furtherance of a trade dispute to which a member of the trade union is a party on the ground only that the act induces some other person to break a contract of employment, or that it is in interference with the trade, business or employment of some other person or with the right of some other person to dispose of his capital or of his labour as he wills.

Further, a suit against a registered trade union or against any member or officer thereof on behalf of themselves and all other members of the trade union in respect of any tortious act alleged to have been committed by or on behalf of the trade union shall not be entertained by any court.

As such, trade unions may be registered as not for profit organizations to be engaged in the regulation of the relations between employers and employees.

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Registration of Companies in Kenya

December 30th, 2009 4 comments

Companies in Kenya: Proposed company name must be reserved pending registration (Name can only be reserved for thirty days). Application for reservation should be made in writing and be accompanied with the requisite fee.

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