Get a cotton ginning, sisal factory or fibre crops export licence
Agriculture and Food Authority - Fibre Crops Directorate · sources read 2 Oct 2026
Register with AFA's Fibre Crops Directorate on AFA IMIS, then get the licence for what you do. A cotton ginning or sisal factory licence costs KSh 2,000 a year and a sisal export licence KSh 8,000, and every licence ends on 30 June.
- Fee
- KSh 2,000Cotton ginning licence (per year)KSh 2,000Sisal factory licence (per year)KSh 5,000Cotton seed milling licenceKSh 5,000Sisal spinning or cotton textile mill licenceKSh 8,000Sisal export or import licenceKSh 1,000Cotton seed or seed cake export or import licenceKSh 5,000Certificate of compliance (new factory)
- How long
- AFA should decide a licence within 60 days
- Deadline
- 31 May 2027 Apply to renew at least 30 days before your licence ends on 30 June
- Where
- Online on AFA IMIS (imis.afa.go.ke), AFA Fibre Crops Directorate
What you need
- Certificate of incorporation
- List of shareholders (CR-12)
- Company KRA PIN certificate
- Valid business permit
- Exporters: valid KRA tax compliance certificate
Steps
- Apply for registration with the Fibre Crops Directorate on AFA IMIS and upload your company documents.
- Building a new ginnery or sisal factory? Get AFA's preliminary approval first, then a certificate of compliance after inspection.
- Apply for the licence for your activity (ginning, sisal processing, milling or export) and pay the fee.
- Exporters and importers: get a permit for every consignment.
Watch out
- Every licence ends on 30 June, whatever month you got it, and renewal needs an annual inspection.
- The cotton lint export licence is charged in dollars: USD 2,000.
- Exporters and importers must send AFA monthly returns by the 15th of every month.
Who can apply
- Anyone who processes cotton, sisal or other fibre crops (ginneries, sisal factories, spinners, seed millers). They must register and hold a licence.
- Anyone who exports or imports fibre crops or fibre crop products.
Official sources (4)
- The Crops (Fibre Crops) Regulations, 2020 (Legal Notice No. 120 of 2020), Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 110 infotradekenya.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- Register with AFA Fibre Crops Directorate (procedure 2854) infotradekenya.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- Sisal exporter licence (procedure 4083) infotradekenya.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026
- AFA IMIS (Fibre Crops) imis.afa.go.ke · read 2 Oct 2026