Intellectual property (IP) law is interested in protecting the product of human mind or product of creation.  IP is sometimes regarded as protecting the physical embodiment of an otherwise intangible asset. Currently, intellectual property law in Kenya is governed through many laws. For example, the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA), deals with counterfeit goods and related rights, The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has the mandate of overseeing the administration of copyright and related rights, while the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI) deals with trademarks, patents, technology innovations and utility models.

In the last ten years, Kenya has initiated a number of legal and institutional reforms in strengthening and protecting Intellectual Property. Yet, through these reforms IP efforts have been hampered by institutional overlaps as observed by the Presidential Task Force on Parastatal Reforms.   As such the review to its intellectual property laws, through the Intellectual Property Bill, 2020, has been a long time coming.

The Bill proposes a merger of the Government institutions tasked with promotion and protection of Intellectual Property in the country to form the Intellectual Property Office of Kenya, an umbrella Government Agency that will deal with registration, custody and enforcement of IP in Kenya.

Efforts in this line are being spearheaded by the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development and have inputs from the Kenya Law Reforms, among others. Members of public are invited to present their comments to ACA through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  and or to the CS Industrialization, trade and Enterprise Development through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 29th June 2020. 

Please find the draft Intellectual Property Bill, 2020 here. (PDF, 53MB)