SOC 2 attestation in Kenya

SOC 2 attestation in Kenya at a glance

SOC 2 is demanded in Kenya by customers, not by regulators. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants describes SOC reports as examinations of service organisation controls by independent CPA firms, with SOC 2 addressing the trust services criteria, and Kenya's accountants are overseen by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya under the Accountants Act (Cap. 531). It is an attestation rather than a certificate, so the report comes from a CPA firm and not from an accreditation body. The annual system security audit report that the National Payment System Regulations, 2014 require of payment service providers is a separate regulatory submission. Software, fintech and outsourcing firms are the usual applicants. Sterling does not attest or examine. Sterling's Nairobi office prepares the controls with Effivity and Sterling Academy included and 20+ years of practice.

Who needs SOC 2 in Kenya, and what happens without it

In Kenya the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• Software, cloud and managed service providers with international customersCustomers ask for an independent report on the controls that protect their data.
• Fintech and payment platformsThey answer to the CBK on security audits and to enterprise customers on controls.
• BPO and outsourcing firms handling client dataClients ask for assurance over security, availability and confidentiality.
• Firms already working to ISO/IEC 27001They can reuse many controls and evidence for a SOC 2 examination.

SOC 2 requirements in Kenya

Strip away the vocabulary and SOC 2 asks a service organisation to report on six things about the controls behind its service.

In Kenya these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: SOC 2 explained →

How to get a SOC 2 report in Kenya

One team from the Nairobi office carries the work from scoping to report. Clients across Kenya are served from Sterling's Nairobi office, on-site where the work needs it and remotely otherwise.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against SOC 2 and the Kenyan requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before any external review.
5. The independent examination and reportA licensed CPA firm performs the examination and issues the report. Sterling supports the examination.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

• SOC 2 gap analysis
• SOC 2 implementation plan

How long does SOC 2 attestation take in Kenya?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In Kenya these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Scope of systems, services and trust services criteria
• Control maturity and evidence collection for the period examined
• Type of report, design only or design and operating effectiveness
• CPA firm availability and customer deadlines

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• What drives the SOC 2 timeline
• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does SOC 2 attestation cost in Kenya?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the CPA firm’s fees, which are quoted separately. In Kenya these factors move both.

• Number of systems, services and criteria in scope
• Security, monitoring and evidence tooling
• CPA firm examination fees quoted separately from consulting
• Remediation of control gaps

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

• What makes up the cost of SOC 2

SOC 2 consultants and auditors in Kenya

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; a licensed CPA firm then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers SOC 2 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in Kenya are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

SOC 2 in Kenya: questions clients ask

More on SOC 2 for Kenyan organisations

• SOC 2: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement SOC 2
• Accounting and professional services: SOC 2 for the sector
• BPO and shared services: SOC 2 for the sector
• Fintech and payments: SOC 2 for the sector
• Healthcare IT and health BPO: SOC 2 for the sector
• HR, payroll and staffing: SOC 2 for the sector
• MSPs and data centres: SOC 2 for the sector
• SaaS and technology: SOC 2 for the sector
• Sterling in Nairobi
• SOC 2 attestation in Kenya and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Kenyan businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in Kenya often combine SOC 2 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 21 standards Sterling delivers in Kenya →