How do I sign and verify PDFs online in Kenya?
Sign the PDF in Sealique from any phone: the sealed file carries a PAdES digital signature that meets KICA's advanced electronic signature tests, plus a QR code for verification.
Kenya recognised electronic signatures in the Kenya Information and Communications Act (Cap 411A) and opened contracts, registrable documents and land contracts to electronic execution with the Business Laws (Amendment) Act 2020. Sealique is built for East Africa: the interface works in English and Kiswahili, signers need no account, and every sealed PDF can be verified by anyone with a phone.
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Key facts
- KICA Cap 411A defines an advanced electronic signature as uniquely linked to the signatory, capable of identifying them, created under their sole control and linked to the data so any change is detectable.
- The Business Laws (Amendment) Act 2020 (assented 18 March 2020) amended the Law of Contract Act, the Registration of Documents Act and the Land Registration Act to allow electronic execution.
- A Sealique seal is a PAdES digital signature with an audit trail, consent records and optional e-mail one-time code.
- The whole interface, the signing page and the verification page are available in Kiswahili and English.
- Signing needs no card and no trial clock; recipients open a link in the browser and never need an account.
Is an electronic signature legal in Kenya?
Yes. The Kenya Information and Communications Act (KICA, Cap 411A) gives legal recognition to electronic signatures and defines the advanced electronic signature. The Business Laws (Amendment) Act 2020 deleted the earlier exclusion in section 83B(1) and amended the Law of Contract Act, the Registration of Documents Act and the Land Registration Act, so contracts and land contracts can be executed electronically, land contracts by advanced electronic signature. See MMAN Advocates and MMC ASAFO.
Wills, negotiable instruments, documents of title and documents that require attestation or notarisation remain outside electronic execution or are specially regulated; confirm with counsel for those.
What do Kenyan organisations sign with Sealique?
Tender submissions and supplier agreements, HR letters and employment contracts, NGO memoranda of understanding and grant agreements, board resolutions and meeting minutes, training attendance registers and approval letters. Each becomes a sealed PDF with a verification ID that a procurement officer or auditor can check without an account.
Does Sealique work in Kiswahili?
Yes. The interface, the signing page that recipients see, the e-mails and the public verification page exist in Kiswahili (/sw/), alongside English, French, German and Kinyarwanda. A signer in Nairobi can sign in English while a colleague in Mombasa reads the same page in Kiswahili.
How is a signed PDF verified in Kenya?
Every signature block prints a verification ID and a QR code. Scanning the code, typing the ID or uploading the PDF on the public verification page shows who signed, when, and whether the file changed since it was sealed. Nothing has to be installed, which matters when the receiving office only has a phone.
What E-signature in Kenya includes
- PAdES digital signature per signer
- Kiswahili and English interface, e-mails and verification page
- Signers need no account; works on any phone
- Audit trail with time, IP address and device
- Public verification by QR code or ID
Questions people ask
Is e-signature legal in Kenya for contracts?
Yes. Since the Business Laws (Amendment) Act 2020 the Law of Contract Act allows contracts to be executed electronically, and KICA recognises advanced electronic signatures.
Can I sign a tender document online in Kenya?
Yes, unless the tender notice requires a specific national certificate or a wet signature; a PAdES-sealed PDF with a verification ID is accepted by many buyers.
Check the tender's instructions to bidders first.
Does a Kenyan signer need an account on Sealique?
No. Signers open a personal link in the browser; only the person who sends the document has an account, which needs no card.
Can the verification page be read in Kiswahili?
Yes. The verification page, the signing page and all e-mails exist in Kiswahili at the /sw/ address.
Sources
- Business Laws (Amendment) Act 2020, Kenya (summary, MMAN Advocates)
- Legality and limitations of e-signatures in Kenya (MMC ASAFO)
- Kenya Information and Communications Act, Cap 411A (Kenya Law, consolidated text)
This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice; check the current text of the law for your document type.