DP World ordered to change Kenyan subsidiary name in trademark dispute
Double registration is uncommon but can occur, particularly due to registration errors.
KENYA – DP World, the Dubai-based ports and logistics giant, has been given a 30-day ultimatum by Kenya’s Business Registration Service (BRS) to change the name of its local subsidiary, DP World Logistics Clearing and Forwarding Kenya Limited, or risk being struck off the companies register, after the registrar found the name identical to that of an existing local firm.
The directive, issued on May 5, 2026, follows a complaint filed on November 25, 2025, by Gatama & Associates, acting for DP World Logistics EA Limited, a company fully owned by Kenyan businessman Kennedy Oluoch Onyango.
The BRS noted that the subsidiary’s name was mistakenly registered on December 10, 2024, despite an earlier registration of “DP World Logistics EA Limited” on December 15, 2020. Both companies operate in the same line of business, logistics, creating potential for confusion.
Hiram Gachugi, the deputy registrar of companies, said the name change is mandatory under Section 58 of the Companies Act; failure to comply within the stipulated period will result in the company being struck off the register.
Corporate structure and ownership
DP World Logistics Clearing and Forwarding Kenya is fully owned by Imperial Managed Solutions East Africa Limited, which is 99.9% owned by Imperial Capital Limited.
Imperial Capital Limited is owned by Imperial Logistics Limited, which is fully owned by DP World, which completed its acquisition of Imperial Logistics in March 2022.
DP World’s growing presence in Kenya
The name dispute comes as DP World has significantly expanded its commercial footprint in Kenya.
In 2025, the company signed an agreement with eCitizen to deploy its CARGOES Customs platform in collaboration with the Kenya Ports Authority and the national government. The company said the system could cut cargo clearance times by up to 30%.
More recently, DP World agreed to invest more than US$100 million (Sh12 billion) in a special economic zone project in Mombasa with businessman Suleiman Shahbal’s Gulf Group, a project expected to create thousands of jobs.
Legal context and precedent
Double registration is uncommon but can occur, particularly due to registration errors. An official noted that the first company to register a name generally has priority, and the Registrar must rectify cases where similar names are inadvertently registered.
Ultimately, the resolution of this naming dispute will depend on whether DP World complies with the BRS directive or pursues legal recourse.
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