What has happened?

Kenya is considering a significant restructuring of its intellectual property system through the Kenya Intellectual Property Bill, 2026 (National Assembly Bill No. 40 of 2026). The Bill is dated 19 June 2026 and is currently before the National Assembly.

Most recently, the National Assembly commenced a further public participation process on the Bill in August 2026, inviting creators, innovators, businesses and other stakeholders to submit comments to the Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.

The Bill represents considerably more than an amendment to individual IP laws. It proposes the creation of a substantially unified statutory and institutional framework for the administration and enforcement of intellectual property rights in Kenya.

What are the key proposed changes?

A central feature of the Bill is the proposed establishment of a single Kenya Intellectual Property Authority (KIPA).

KIPA would take over functions currently exercised by three separate institutions:

• the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI), which administers patents, trade marks, industrial designs and related industrial property rights;
• the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), which administers copyright and related rights; and
• the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA), which is responsible for combating trade in counterfeit goods.

The Bill would therefore place the administration of a broad range of IP rights, together with anti-counterfeiting functions, within a single authority.

The proposed KIPA would, among other responsibilities, receive applications for and grant or register relevant IP rights, maintain IP registers, administer recordation mechanisms relating to imported and manufactured goods, and undertake functions aimed at combating counterfeit trade.

A single Intellectual Property Tribunal

The Bill also proposes the establishment of a specialised Intellectual Property Tribunal to hear and determine IP disputes and appeals.

This would complement the institutional consolidation proposed under KIPA by creating a more unified dispute-resolution framework for IP matters.

The Bill also contains transitional arrangements dealing with the transfer of staff, assets, liabilities and functions from the existing institutions to the proposed Authority.

Why is this important?

Kenya’s current IP framework is administered through several institutions operating under different legislation. The proposed reform seeks to replace that fragmented institutional structure with a single national IP regulator responsible for the administration and enforcement of several categories of intellectual property.

If enacted, the reform could have significant practical consequences for businesses and rights holders. A unified authority may simplify engagement with Kenya’s IP system, improve coordination between registration and enforcement functions and create greater consistency in the administration of IP rights.

The significance of the reform is particularly apparent in the proposed integration of registration, copyright administration and anti-counterfeiting enforcement. Rather than treating these functions as separate institutional silos, the Bill envisages a more integrated national IP system.

An increasingly technology-focused IP framework

The Bill also seeks to address newer forms of innovation and technology. Current parliamentary reporting indicates that the proposed framework encompasses matters including AI-assisted inventions and technovations, reflecting Kenya’s broader effort to adapt its IP regime to technological development.

This reform comes alongside Kenya’s separate Draft National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy 2026, which is also undergoing development and is intended to strengthen the role of IP in innovation, creativity and economic development.

Taken together, these initiatives suggest that Kenya is pursuing not merely incremental legislative amendments but a broader reconsideration of the institutional and policy architecture governing intellectual property.