Young Black woman with braids checking her phone while holding a bank card
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Career advice · Updated October 2026

CRB Clearance Certificate in Kenya: How to Get One for a Job, Step by Step

Young Black woman with braids checking her phone while holding a bank card
Photo: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels (Pexels License, free to use)

Government job adverts in Kenya almost always end with a list of clearances, and one of them is a certificate from “a registered credit reference bureau”. Many private employers, especially banks, saccos and finance roles, ask for the same thing before they hire. A CRB clearance certificate shows that, on the day it was issued, the bureau held no negative listing against you. This guide explains which bureaus can issue one, how to apply with each, what it costs, and what to do if you find out you are listed just as a job offer arrives.

What a CRB clearance certificate is

A credit reference bureau (CRB) collects information from banks, microfinance banks, saccos, digital lenders and other credit providers about how people repay loans. The bureaus are licensed and supervised by the Central Bank of Kenya under the Banking (Credit Reference Bureau) Regulations, 2020.

When you apply for a certificate, the bureau checks your file. If you have no negative listing, it issues a clearance certificate. If you do, Creditinfo explains that you get a credit status certificate instead, which shows the listing. That is what an employer will see.

When an employer can ask for it

Section 9(5) to (8) of the Employment Act, added by the Employment (Amendment) Act, 2022, says an employer cannot require clearance or compliance certificates from a job applicant unless it intends to enter into a contract of service with that person. In other words, a private employer should ask for the CRB certificate once it intends to hire you, not when you first apply. The employer may withdraw the offer if you do not meet the requirement. Applicants for state offices are treated differently, so public service and county board adverts can ask for the certificates during recruitment.

Our guide to documents required for jobs in Kenya covers the other clearances.

The three licensed bureaus

The Central Bank’s directory of licensed credit reference bureaus lists three:

  • Credit Reference Bureau Africa Ltd, trading as TransUnion;
  • Metropol Credit Reference Bureau Ltd;
  • Creditinfo Credit Reference Bureau Kenya Ltd.

Unless the advert names a specific bureau, a certificate from any of them answers a request for clearance from “a registered credit reference bureau”. If the advert names one, use that one.

Step 1: Check your credit report first (it is free)

Do not pay for a certificate before you know what is on your file. Regulation 37(3) gives you a free credit report from each bureau at least once a year, and again within 30 days of being refused credit because of a listing. Metropol’s FAQ says a credit report is free every calendar year.

Checking all three is worthwhile, because lenders do not always report to every bureau in the same way. Business Radar explains the free options in its guide on how to check your CRB status.

Step 2: Apply for the certificate

TransUnion (Nipashe)

According to TransUnion Kenya:

  1. Text your name to 21272, or download the TransUnion Nipashe app from the Google Play Store.
  2. Register by paying a once-off KSh 50 to paybill 212121, using your ID number as the account number.
  3. Request your credit status, which TransUnion says it sends instantly, showing “good” or “default”.
  4. Request a clearance certificate through the same service.

Business Radar has a screen-by-screen guide to getting a TransUnion CRB clearance certificate.

Metropol (Crystobol)

Metropol’s services run through its Crystobol platform: dial *433# on Safaricom, use the Crystobol app on Android, or go to crystobol.metropol.co.ke. Once your certificate is ready, you can download it on Metropol’s website using the mobile number you registered with and the reference number issued for your request.

Creditinfo

Creditinfo’s clearance certificate page has online application forms for individuals and companies, plus a “verify clearance certificate” option that employers can use to confirm a certificate is genuine.

What it costs

Regulation 28(4) says a bureau shall not, “in the first instance”, charge any fee for a clearance certificate. In plain terms, your first certificate should be free. After that, bureaus charge fees approved by the Central Bank. Creditinfo’s page states a fee of KSh 2,200 for clearance certificate applications. Prices change, so confirm the amount in the app or on the bureau’s site before paying, and pay only through the bureau’s own channels.

If you are listed: what to do before the offer deadline

A listing does not legally bar you from a job, but an employer will see it, and an unresolved default can weigh against you in finance roles and state offices. Act quickly:

  1. Read the report. Note the lender, the amount and the date of the listing.
  2. If the debt is genuine, settle it or agree a plan, then ask the lender to update all the bureaus. Once a lender learns that information is inaccurate, regulation 26(7) requires it to notify the bureaus within five days, and the bureau must update its database within two working days.
  3. If the listing is wrong, dispute it in writing with the bureau. Under regulation 37, the bureau must flag the entry as disputed within five working days and investigate within seven days. The lender has 21 days to complete its investigation. If the investigation is not completed within 21 days, the disputed information must be deleted.
  4. Escalate if needed. If you are unhappy with the outcome, you can refer the dispute to the Central Bank, without losing any other remedy.
  5. Explain it to the employer. Send proof of settlement or of the dispute with your credit status certificate. A clear, honest note is better than silence.

Rules that protect you

  • A lender may not report negative information where the amount is KSh 1,000 or less (regulation 18(2)).
  • A lender must give you at least 30 days’ notice before submitting negative information, unless your contract provides for a shorter period (regulation 26(1)).
  • Information on a non-performing loan is kept for five years from final settlement, then must be removed (regulation 34).

Business Radar’s guide on improving your credit score in Kenya covers the longer-term fixes.

Avoid “CRB clearing” scams

TransUnion warns that fraudsters use its name on social media and online classifieds to offer services for clearing credit issues, and says it does not charge a fee to investigate disputes. Nobody can remove a genuine listing for a fee. If a recruiter tells you to pay them for “clearance processing”, run the advert through our fake job advert checker.

Key takeaways

  • Any of the three CBK-licensed bureaus can issue a CRB clearance certificate unless the advert names one.
  • Check your free credit report first; your first clearance certificate should be free under regulation 28(4).
  • If you are listed, you get a credit status certificate instead, so settle or dispute the listing early.
  • Lenders have 21 days to resolve a dispute, or the disputed entry must be deleted.

Plan all your documents with our clearance certificates checklist, then browse open government jobs.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get a CRB clearance certificate in Kenya?

If your file is clean, it can be quick. TransUnion says it sends your credit status instantly once you are registered on Nipashe, and Metropol lets you download a certificate online with your phone and reference number. If you have a listing to settle or dispute, allow time: a disputed listing can take up to 21 days to be investigated.

How much is a CRB clearance certificate?

Regulation 28(4) of the CRB Regulations says a bureau shall not, in the first instance, charge for a clearance certificate, so your first one should be free. Later certificates are charged; Creditinfo lists KSh 2,200. Confirm the current fee with the bureau before you pay.

Which CRB certificate do employers accept?

Most adverts ask for a certificate from a registered credit reference bureau, which can be TransUnion, Metropol or Creditinfo. If the advert names a particular bureau, get the certificate from that bureau.

Can I get a job if I am listed on CRB?

The law does not bar listed people from employment, but the employer will see a credit status certificate showing the listing. Settle the debt or dispute a wrong listing as early as possible, and send the employer proof of settlement or of the dispute.

Free tools for Kenyan workers: work out your take-home pay with the net salary calculator, check tax with the PAYE calculator, or estimate what you are owed with the terminal dues calculator. See all salary and HR tools.

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