KENYA · GUIDE 0765 · EDITION 4.2
Scrap metal sorting in Kenya: Registration and Activity Checks
Define the activity that authorities need to assess
Sort lawful scrap metal by buyer-accepted grade without hazardous processing.
Define the metal categories and lawful sourcing evidence required by the buyer, excluding unknown containers or hazardous equipment that cannot be safely identified and handled within the operation.
Describe that exact operation when checking requirements. State where the work takes place, whether customers enter the premises, who performs technical tasks and whether you manufacture, resell, deliver or coordinate the service. Requirements can change with these facts; a broad business category is not a complete permit determination.
Sector questions to investigate
- Obtain NEMA and county clarification for waste collection, transport, storage or processing before starting; material resale is not a blanket exemption.
- Exclude hazardous, clinical, chemical or asbestos waste unless specifically authorized and equipped.
- For office equipment or documents, agree lawful data erasure or secure destruction and retain handover evidence.
Keep registration separate from permission to operate
A registered business name does not itself establish approval of premises, products or professional work. Use the Business Registration Service to check the appropriate registration route. Ask the relevant county office which premises and trading checks apply to the actual activity. Confirm tax and invoicing obligations with KRA for your circumstances rather than copying another trader's treatment.
Prepare a written enquiry
| Information to provide | Business-specific starting point |
|---|---|
| Proposed output | Sort lawful scrap metal by buyer-accepted grade without hazardous processing. |
| Scope and exclusions | Define the metal categories and lawful sourcing evidence required by the buyer, excluding unknown containers or hazardous equipment that cannot be safely identified and handled within the operation. |
| First operating step | Verify the metal's lawful ownership and receiving buyer's accepted grades before arranging a small collection, excluding suspect, hazardous or unidentified components. |
| Quality and acceptance | Present a representative sorted batch to the intended buyer and reconcile grade descriptions with accepted weights, checking whether coatings or mixed attachments change the classification and payment basis. |
Add the county, location, premises arrangement, scale, equipment and responsible person's qualifications. Ask which authority handles an issue if it falls outside the first office's remit. Record the answer, reference link, date checked and any renewal or inspection condition. A guide's reference list is a route to verification, not an approval document.
Decide what must wait
Do not offer a regulated service or make a safety, accreditation or certification claim that you cannot substantiate. Resolve an unanswered prerequisite before accepting work that depends on it. A demand interview can often precede trading; a paid or physical trial still needs the appropriate permissions and safe arrangements.
A mixed scrap load can disappoint when valuable-looking items contain lower-value material, lawful ownership is unclear or hidden contamination makes handling and resale inappropriate for the planned operation.
No universal licence package, current fee or exemption is asserted here. The official links below support only their stated scope.
Prepare a precise activity enquiry
Describe this actual operating scope to the relevant authority or competent adviser: Fictional sorting contract at an appropriately authorized scrap business: separate a documented 200 kg batch of ordinary released metal offcuts into the receiver’s agreed grades. Work is limited to hand sorting/identification within competence, weighing and source records. Exclude utilities/infrastructure material of uncertain ownership, batteries, pressurized vessels, e-waste dismantling, burning insulation, melting and chemical assays. Verify the actual Scrap Metal Council and environmental requirements before operating; this guide is not a licence.
Use these operating details to make the enquiry specific:
| Detail to disclose | Why it can affect the answer |
|---|---|
| Operator/source authority - Actual permissions and 200 kg source documentation. | Explain the actual premises, scale, use and who will perform the task. Ask which current rule applies to these facts. |
| Grade/scale tools - Buyer samples, suitable scale and labelled unknown/reject areas. | Explain the actual premises, scale, use and who will perform the task. Ask which current rule applies to these facts. |
| Handling plan - Competent staff/PPE appropriate to the actual material. | Explain the actual premises, scale, use and who will perform the task. Ask which current rule applies to these facts. |
Keep the reply date, official source, exact activity facts and any conditions together. This is an enquiry preparation method, not a determination that a licence, exemption or fee applies. The earlier source dates do not mean legal requirements were rechecked today. Resolve these outstanding checks before relying on a broad business description:
- Actual licences, source ownership, hazards, grades and weights require verification.
- No scrap-price, assay or legal-trading authorization is supplied.