Get or renew an ICPAK practising licence and register an accounting or audit firm
Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya · sources read 4 Oct 2026
ICPAK members who want to offer accounting, tax or audit services to the public apply for a licence (category M, T, A or C) on licenses.icpak.com and renew it every year. The one-time application fee is KSh 10,000 for Kenyans; the annual fee is KSh 5,000 to 10,000 depending on the category.
- Fee
- KSh 10,000Practising certificate application, one-time (Kenyans, all categories)KSh 15,000Practising certificate application, one-time (non-Kenyans, categories M, T, A)KSh 25,000Practising certificate application, one-time (non-Kenyans, category C)KSh 5,000Annual licence fee, category M or T (Kenyans)KSh 10,000Annual licence fee, category M or T (non-Kenyans)KSh 7,500Annual licence fee, category A (Kenyans)KSh 15,000Annual licence fee, category A (non-Kenyans)KSh 10,000Annual licence fee, category C (Kenyans)KSh 25,000Annual licence fee, category C (non-Kenyans)
- How long
- Up to 2 months from when ICPAK receives a complete application
- Where
- Online on the ICPAK licensing portal (licenses.icpak.com). Office: CPA Centre, Ruaraka, Thika Road, Nairobi.
What you need
- A recommendation letter signed by an ICPAK member in good standing (categories M and T)
- Proof of the required work experience
- Foreign nationals: a valid work permit (audit licence)
- Professional indemnity insurance
- For a partnership: a valid partnership deed
Steps
- Setting up a firm? First confirm the firm's name with ICPAK. It must use the names of the partners (or be approved by Council).
- Apply for your licence (or the firm name) online at licenses.icpak.com and pay the fees.
- The Registration & Quality Assurance Committee, which meets every quarter, approves licence applications.
- Renew the licence every year on the same portal.
Watch out
- A firm can only call itself an audit and assurance practice if the owner or at least one partner holds a valid category A licence (likewise M, T or C for the other firm types).
- ICPAK issues annual member and firm licences by the end of November, but only once your fees are paid and your CPD hours are up to date.
- Every audit firm is reviewed by ICPAK at least once every 3 years.
Who can apply
- Category M (accounting, controls and consulting): ordinary ICPAK member for the last 2 years with 2 years' accounting experience.
- Category T (tax): member in good standing for 2 years with 2 years' full-time tax work (or 4 part-time), and a licensed KRA tax agent.
- Category A (audit and assurance): ordinary member for 2 years with 5 years' full-time external audit work (or 7 part-time) under a licensed practitioner.
- Category C (composite): 5 years' full-time experience across audit, tax and accounting (or 7 part-time) and at least three mandatory trainings in the last year.
- All categories: 40 CPD hours a year in the years before you apply, and good standing with ICPAK.
Official sources (5)
- Practitioner's Licences icpak.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Member Categories & Registration icpak.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- FAQs icpak.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- ICPAK Service Charter icpak.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- ICPAK licensing portal licenses.icpak.com · read 4 Oct 2026