Key Takeaways From Kenya’s New Intellectual Property Bill

The administration of intellectual property in Kenya is currently fragmented. The Kenya Industrial Property Institute (“KIPI”) administers patents, trade marks, utility models and industrial designs under the Industrial Property Act and the Trade Marks Act. The Kenya Copyright Board (“KECOBO”) administers copyright under the Copyright Act and the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (“ACA”) combats counterfeiting in terms of the Anti-Counterfeit Act.

The Kenya Intellectual Property Bill, 2026 (“the Bill”), which is before the country’s National Assembly, consolidates the Industrial Property Act, the Copyright Act and the Anti-Counterfeit Act into one comprehensive statute and will repeal these statutes. It also establishes the Kenya Intellectual Property Authority (“KIPA”) which will take over the functions currently exercised by KIPI, KECOBO and the ACA. This single authority will, therefore, administer patents and industrial designs, copyright, trade marks, utility models, copyright and