Updated 2 November 2026
Kenya has 212 registered seed companies on the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) list of registered seed merchants published in September 2026, from Kenya Seed Company and Simlaw Seeds to Western Seed, Syngenta East Africa, Seedco and Starke Ayres. Only a registered seed merchant may produce, process, import or market certified seed, and only a KEPHIS-licensed seed seller may sell it to you. You can check that a small pack is genuine by scratching its KEPHIS sticker and sending the code by SMS to 1393, free of charge.
Updated November 2026. Figures come from KEPHIS’s “List of Registered Seed Companies in Kenya” (September 2026 file, newest entry July 24, 2026), its Seed Certification Services page and its sticker seed label notice, checked on November 2, 2026.
In this guide
- Registered Seed Companies in Kenya: Who Is on the KEPHIS List
- How the List of Registered Seed Companies in Kenya Has Grown
- How to Check If Seed From Registered Seed Companies in Kenya Is Certified
- Buying From Registered Seed Companies in Kenya Safely: KEPHIS's Advice
- Seed Merchant, Seed Grower or Seed Seller: What Each Means
- How KEPHIS Certifies Seed
- Frequently Asked Questions
Registered Seed Companies in Kenya: Who Is on the KEPHIS List
The list gives each merchant a registration number (in the form SC00MR followed by four digits), the date it was registered under the current system, its name and an email address. Here are 20 of the best-known names that farmers and agrovets deal with, exactly as the September 2026 list records them:
| Company | KEPHIS registration no. | Registered |
|---|---|---|
| Kenya Seed Company Ltd | SC00MR0003 | 27 May 2020 |
| Simlaw Seeds Ltd | SC00MR0052 | 6 Oct 2020 |
| Oil Crop Development Ltd | SC00MR0013 | 4 Sep 2020 |
| Dryland Seed Ltd | SC00MR0015 | 11 Sep 2020 |
| HM Clause Kenya Ltd | SC00MR0069 | 3 Nov 2020 |
| ADC Seed Unit | SC00MR0077 | 13 Nov 2020 |
| Agri Seedco Ltd | SC00MR0098 | 17 Nov 2020 |
| Kenya Highland Seed Co Ltd | SC00MR0110 | 17 Nov 2020 |
| Royal Seed Ltd | SC00MR0120 | 20 Nov 2020 |
| Syngenta East Africa | SC00MR0129 | 6 Jan 2021 |
| Agrico East Africa Ltd | SC00MR0131 | 27 Jan 2021 |
| Qualibasic Seed Company | SC00MR0141 | 11 Feb 2021 |
| Namdhari Seeds Africa Ltd | SC00MR0143 | 11 Feb 2021 |
| Starke Ayres Kenya Ltd | SC00MR0160 | 15 Mar 2021 |
| Western Seed Company Ltd | SC00MR0175 | 19 Apr 2021 |
| ASI Seeds Enterprises (K) Ltd | SC00MR0195 | 23 Jul 2021 |
| Monsanto Kenya Ltd | SC00MR0213 | 6 Oct 2021 |
| Hygrotech East Africa Ltd | SC00MR0244 | 24 Jan 2022 |
| Nikifarm Seed Company Ltd | SC00MR0388 | 21 Jun 2024 |
| Eldoret Seed Co Ltd | SC00MR0444 | 6 Oct 2025 |
The registered seed companies in Kenya also include public seed producers such as several KALRO seed units (Mwea, Njoro, Kibos, Oljororok and Kakamega), the Agricultural Development Corporation, Egerton University and the University of Eldoret, plus flower breeders, potato seed multipliers and farmer co-operatives. If a brand you are offered is not on the list, ask the seller which registered merchant produced it.
How the List of Registered Seed Companies in Kenya Has Grown
Our count of the September 2026 list by year of registration:
| Year registered | Seed merchants on the list |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 28 |
| 2021 | 51 |
| 2022 | 22 |
| 2023 | 14 |
| 2024 | 35 |
| 2025 | 38 |
| 2026 (to July 24) | 24 |
| Total | 212 |
Ninety-seven new merchants have been registered since the start of 2024 alone. More competition is good for choice, but it also means more unfamiliar labels in agrovets, so checking each pack matters.
How to Check If Seed From Registered Seed Companies in Kenya Is Certified
- Look for the KEPHIS sticker. Packs of 5kg and below carry a KEPHIS sticker label with the KEPHIS logo, a serial number, a concealed number and the SMS code 1393.
- Scratch and send. Scratch the label to reveal the code and send it as an SMS to 1393. The SMS is free.
- Read the reply. KEPHIS replies to confirm whether the seed is genuine and gives details of the packaged seed. If it is not genuine, do not plant it.
- Check the pack. Do not buy a pack that looks tampered with. Certified seed lots are labelled and sealed so that the seed cannot be removed or swapped without damaging the pack, label or seal.
Buying From Registered Seed Companies in Kenya Safely: KEPHIS’s Advice
- Buy only from licensed seed sellers.
- Get an official receipt.
- Keep the receipt and the empty packets for the whole season, in case you need to complain.
- Report anything odd about the seed or the crop to KEPHIS straight away, and report strange pests or diseases to KEPHIS and your agricultural extension officer.
Fake inputs are not only a seed problem. Read how regulators seized fake subsidised fertiliser in Kakamega, and compare prices in our fertilizer prices in Kenya guide before you buy.
Seed Merchant, Seed Grower or Seed Seller: What Each Means
| Status | What it allows | Main KEPHIS requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Registered seed merchant | Produce, process, market, import and export seed | Certificate of registration by a government entity, competent seed personnel, own or hired land, seed storage, a distribution network and a registration fee |
| Registered seed grower | Grow seed crops, usually for a merchant | Land in a suitable agro-zone, healthy soil, a suitable cropping history and an application fee |
| Licensed seed seller | Sell tested and certified seed to farmers | An appointment letter from a registered merchant, a recommendation from the county agriculture office, staff who know seed, a suitable store and an application fee |
Anyone importing seed must also be a registered merchant and hold a seed import permit and plant import permit. Imported seed must come with a phytosanitary certificate and an ISTA certificate, and is lab-tested on arrival against gazetted minimum standards before sale.
How KEPHIS Certifies Seed
For registered seed companies in Kenya, certification runs from field to shop: field inspection for trueness to type and purity, processing to remove weed seed and broken or diseased seed, laboratory tests for purity, germination, moisture and seed-borne disease, then labelling and sealing. After that, post-control plots and a planting-season survey by KEPHIS’s regional offices sample seed from stockists, farmers and markets, so complaints about poor seed can be checked against the original lot.
Running an agrovet that buys from registered seed companies in Kenya? Start with our list of Kenya Seed Company branches, the fertilizer companies in Kenya and the top maize-producing counties to plan stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many registered seed companies in Kenya are there?
212 on the KEPHIS list of registered seed merchants published in September 2026, with the newest registered on July 24, 2026.
How do I know if seed is genuine in Kenya?
Scratch the KEPHIS sticker on the pack and SMS the code to 1393. The service is free and tells you whether the seed is genuine.
Is Kenya Seed Company registered with KEPHIS?
Yes. Kenya Seed Company Ltd is registration number SC00MR0003, registered on May 27, 2020 under the current numbering.
Can an agrovet sell seed without a KEPHIS licence?
No. KEPHIS says all seed sellers must be registered with it, and a licensed seller needs an appointment letter from a registered seed merchant.
Who regulates seed in Kenya?
KEPHIS regulates registered seed companies in Kenya, under the Seeds and Plant Varieties Act (Cap 326). It registers merchants and growers, licenses sellers and certifies seed.
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