The Senate on 14 September 2020 proposed the Start-up Bill (the
Bill) for introduction to the Senate that is sure
to pique the interest of Kenyan entrepreneurs and investors who
have an eye on this region. A link to the Bill is available here.
The ecosystem of an innovative start-up sector is based on the
fluidity of the applicable legislative framework and the lowering
of barriers to entry in the relevant market. The Bill seeks to
govern the interactions between the government, incubators,
start-ups, and investors; to foster a culture of innovation and
entrepreneurship; and crucially, link start-ups with public and
private investment, and research and development institutions. From
our initial reading of the Bill, and in our view, there are some
fundamental improvements that could be made to the existing
framework of often complicated and cumbersome laws, policies and
regulations that would encourage the desired growth and innovation,
without the need to enact new
