License a fish processing plant or fish farm (aquaculture) with KeFS
Kenya Fisheries Service · sources read 3 Oct 2026
For a fish processing plant, send KeFS's inquiry form and a letter of intent to the KeFS Director General. KeFS inspects the plant, then you pay the fee and get a fishery enterprise licence. For a fish farm, fill KeFS's form with your location, business registration and environmental impact certificate, and a licensing committee checks it.
- Fee
- We couldn't confirm a fee from the official page. Check it there before you pay.
- Where
- Kenya Fisheries Service, Office of the Director General, 13th Floor, SHA Building, Community Area, Nairobi. Email info@kefs.go.ke
What you need
- Processing plant: the KeFS inquiry form (business name, KRA PIN, location, type of processing, capacity, raw material sources, export markets)
- Processing plant: a letter of intent to the KeFS Director General
- Fish farm: details of where the farm is
- Fish farm: business registration certificate and ownership details
- Fish farm: Environmental and Social Impact Assessment certificate
- Fish farm: the fish species you plan to farm, and your staff and their qualifications
Steps
- Processing plant: download and fill the Inquiry Form for a Land Based Fish Processing Establishment and send it to the KeFS Director General's office.
- Write a letter of intent to the Director General.
- KeFS inspects and rates the plant against its fish inspection manual. A follow-up inspection checks any fixes, and an approval inspection clears you to handle and process fish.
- Pay the fee and KeFS issues the licence.
- Fish farm: fill KeFS's form and attach your documents. A licensing committee checks your farming practices and, if satisfied, licenses the farm.
Watch out
- Small problems won't stop you: KeFS can let you operate while you fix them, then inspects again.
- Fish trader, fish mover and crustacean dealer licences, and the county fish processing licence, come from your county government, not KeFS.
Who can apply
- Anyone processing fish for export, from a land-based plant or a vessel, needs a KeFS licence
- Fish farms (aquaculture facilities) are licensed by KeFS after inspection
Official sources (4)
- Licensing kefs.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- Import/Export kefs.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- Inquiry Form for a Land Based Fish Processing Establishment kefs.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- FAQs kefs.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026