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ARTICLE · 13 OCTOBER 2026

Kenya’s Trust Administration Act, 2026 Officially Takes Effect

Kenya's Trust Administration Act, 2026 introduces a new framework for trusts with requirements for registration, beneficial ownership transparency, trustee duties and compliance obligations. The Act consolidates fragmented legislation into a single regime overseen by a Registrar of Trusts, fundamentally reshaping how trusts are administered and regulated in Kenya.

KenyaCorporate/Commercial Law

The Kenyan Parliament enacted the Trust Administration Act, 2026 (the “Act”), which was signed into law on 8 September 2026 and took effect on 25 September 2026. The Act repeals the Trustee Act (Chapter 167, Laws of Kenya) and the Trustees (Perpetual Succession) Act (Chapter 164, Laws of Kenya) (the “Trustees (Perpetual Succession) Act”), replacing them with a single framework for the registration, incorporation, administration and oversight of trusts. The Act empowers the Attorney-General to make regulations (the “Regulations”), which are yet to be published. This fundamentally reshapes Kenya’s trust regime, moving it from a fragmented system toward a more compact one built around registration, beneficial ownership transparency, active trustee duties and enforceable compliance obligations.

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