Instant AML and KYC compliance solution for Kenya
Country Overview
Country Overview
As a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG), Kenya has one of the most robust KYC/AML frameworks in Africa. Businesses looking to onboard users resident in the country are required to adhere to local and international KYC standards.
Regulatory Overview
Regulatory Overview
KYC/AML regulations
AML/KYC regulations in Kenya are enforced by a number of regulators, including the
- Central Bank of Kenya (CBK),
- Capital Markets Authority (CMA)
- Financial Reporting Centre (FRC).
The primary regulation behind KYC (Know Your Customer) in Kenya is the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) of 2010. Read more about it here.
Choose Smile ID as your compliance partner for AML/KYC regulations in Kenya!
Data protection regulations
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner is responsible for enforcing Kenya’s Data Protection Act of 2019, which is the prevalent regulation for protecting the data of Kenyan citizens.
Institutions are required to obtain users’ consent before processing or transferring personal data. Users are also entitled to the erasure of their personal data upon request.
Stay compliant and prevent fraud in Kenya
Stay compliant, prevent fraud and streamline your user verification process for customers across Africa with Smile ID. Verify users with confidence with:
Access to 3 API Authorities (IPRS, e-citizen, BRS) covering 36M+ ID records in Kenya
Verify up to 9 ID Types including National IDs, KRA Alien IDs, Driver's License, Passports, etc
De-biased models with a 99.8% recognition accuracy for all African skin tones
Image capture SDKs optimised for low bandwidth and all software versions as low as Android 5.0
Global AML Check against over 1100 global sanctions, PEPs, and adverse media watchlists.
Enterprise-level security standard with ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type 1 & 2 certifications.
Accurately verify up to 9 ID types in Kenya
Give users the flexibility to verify their identity using any of the following ID documents. All we need is a document photo and a selfie.
Kenyan National Identity Number
The Kenyan National ID is issued by the National Registration Bureau to all Kenyan citizens and legal residents over 18. The card carries an 8-digit national ID number that is unique to each holder. Smile ID empowers businesses to verify customers' Kenyan National Identity Numbers for compliant onboarding.
Kenyan Passport
The Kenyan passport is the official travel document issued to Kenyan citizens by the Department of Immigration and it can be verified in real-time with our KYC compliance solution for Kenya.
Kenyan Driver’s License
A driving license is issued to Kenyan citizens who have completed a driving course and passed the necessary tests. Integrate with our tech infrastructure and seamlessly perform driver's license verification in Kenya for seamless KYC compliance.
Kenyan Refugee ID
Refugees who have been granted asylum or refugee status in Kenya are issued a refugee card by the Department of Refugee Affairs (DRA).
Verify Kenyans using ID documents
Verifying users with ID documents and biometric face matching is one of the most reliable ways to determine a user's true identity. Our ID document verification solution checks that an ID document is authentic, accurately transcribes the text on the document and compares a user-submitted selfie to the document image.
Transcribes document text with 96% accuracy
Checks for accurate format
Identifies tampered and forged documents
Verifies security features
Scan your document
Our image capture tools guide users to take clear photos even with older devices.
Smile for a selfie
Ensure the real user is behind the camera with a smile to test for liveness.
Get real-time results
In a few seconds, you will confirm the document is authentic and belongs to the user behind the camera.
Comprehensive Identity verification (KYC/AML) solution in one place
Choose the right option to verify and onboard your customers
Document Verification: With Smile ID, you can verify over 8500 documents across 220 countries globally (including Kenya) with 96% OCR accuracy.
Enhanced Document Verification: Add an additional layer of security when onboarding customers by combining government checks with document verification.
Improve your security with advanced authentication solutions
Smartselfie Authentication: SmartSelfie Authentication uses 6 AI-powered anti-spoof models for liveliness checks, which is crucial for detecting fraud during logins and sensitive transactions. With a remarkable 99.8% accuracy rate for African faces, it ensures secure access to your system or service.
Integrate SmartSelfie Authentication into your multi-factor authentication system to accurately verify users' identities when they attempt to access your system or service.
All you need to stop fraud in its tracks in one place
Duplicate Account: Prevent multiple account fraud by scanning previously registered faces in real-time with our Smile Secure product.
Business verification for AML compliance in Kenya
In Kenya, financial institutions must comply with KYB requirements as part of their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) obligations.
The requirements include conducting business verification and verifying the identity and details of key stakeholders that use their services including information about the beneficial owners of the business.
Our solution empowers businesses to verify 7million+ companies from government databases across Africa. Receive information such as:
Company registration status
General company information and address
Beneficial owners and other stakeholders
Integration options
Seamlessly integrate our solutions with your existing infrastructure and automate your compliance. Available integration options include:
Smile Links: Flexible, no-code option for creating customised user verification flows
SDKs: iOs, Android, Hosted Web, Flutter, REACT Native
Server-to-server libraries: Ruby, Java, PHP, Python, node.js
REST API
Ready to get started?
We are equipped to help you level up your KYC/AML compliance stack. Our team is ready to understand your needs, answer questions, and set up your account.