Regulatory & Compliance · Practice

Licensing

Sector-by-sector licensing counsel — from application to ongoing compliance.

Overview

Licensing that keeps operations moving.

Getting and keeping the right licences is often the critical path for growth. We advise on sector-specific licensing across financial services, energy, communications, mining, and beyond.

Our team combines regulatory depth with disciplined project management — turning licensing from a bottleneck into a well-run workstream.

  • Sector licence applications
  • Renewals & variations
  • Ongoing compliance obligations
  • Licence transfers on M&A
Firm Perspective

How we approach this practice.

We navigate the licensing regimes governing regulated activity — from payment service providers and digital credit providers to energy projects under EPRA and environmental compliance under NEMA.

Our approach is to design products and projects that meet statutory requirements from the outset, rather than retrofitting compliance after launch.

Capabilities

Licensing across the sectors we know.

Every mandate draws on the same integrated bench — corporate, regulatory, tax, and disputes — sequenced by a single partner.
Financial Services Licences

CBK, CMA, IRA, RBA, and FRC licensing across regulated financial services.

Energy & Extractives

EPRA, mining, petroleum, and downstream licensing and permit strategy.

Communications & Media

CAK licensing for telecommunications, media, and postal service operators.

General Business Licensing

County, sectoral, and cross-sector business permit navigation.

Licence Transfers

Licence transfers, change-of-control approvals, and pre-M&A licensing diligence.

Licence Conditions

Managing and varying licence conditions, and defending against revocation.

How We Work

A disciplined path from concept to close.

  1. 01
    Commercial Alignment

    We start with the commercial map — economics, control, contributions, and outcome — before drafting a single clause.

  2. 02
    Structural Blueprint

    A structuring memo sets out the vehicle, jurisdiction, tax treatment, and regulatory path, benchmarked against comparable matters.

  3. 03
    Documentation

    Bespoke documentation drafted as an integrated instrument set — designed to survive later scrutiny.

  4. 04
    Approvals & Closing

    Regulator engagement, condition-precedent management, and a disciplined closing choreography.

  5. 05
    Stewardship

    Ongoing counsel through the life of the matter — governance, calendaring, and dispute-prevention.

Key Contacts

Partners leading the practice.

Hudheifa Aden
Hudheifa Aden
Managing Partner
Jacktone Nengo
Jacktone Nengo
Partner
Related Practice Areas

Where this work connects.

Insight
Change-of-control approvals in Kenya — the deal-team checklist.
Read the briefing
Instruct the Firm

Considering a matter? Speak with the partner who will run it.

Contact the Firm to discuss your transaction, project, dispute or regulatory matter.