How to Keep Business Records in Kenya (2026): Simple System for Small Businesses

Nov 10, 2026

Buy More Mall Kenya

Many small businesses in Kenya make sales every day but cannot say at the end of the month whether they made a profit. Good records fix that. They show which products sell, where money leaks, who owes you and what to declare to KRA. Record keeping does not need an accountant: it needs a habit.

Quick answer: Keep five records: sales (every sale, cash or M-Pesa), expenses (rent, stock purchases, transport, wages, with receipts), stock (what came in, what went out, what is left), customers and debtors (who bought, who owes), and documents (quotations, invoices, permits, tax returns). Record daily, separate business and personal money, and keep records for at least five years, the period KRA generally uses under the Tax Procedures Act. On Buy More Mall, My Business in your Buy More Mall seller dashboard: customers, stock levels and low-stock alerts on every package, plus buying prices, stock history, expenses, profit and daily cash from the Simba package up.

Which Business Records Should You Keep?

Record	What to write	How often
Sales	Date, item, quantity, price, how paid (cash, till, bank)	Every sale, totalled daily
Expenses	Date, what for, amount, receipt or M-Pesa code	Every payment
Stock	Opening stock, new stock in, sold, closing stock	Daily for fast items, weekly for others
Customers and debtors	Name, phone, what they bought, amount owed, due date	Every credit sale
Documents	Quotations, invoices, receipts, permits, KRA returns	File as you go

Books, Excel or an App?

Method	Good for	Watch out for
Exercise book / cash book	Very small kiosks, starting out	Easy to lose, hard to total
Excel or Google Sheets	Owners comfortable with a computer	Formulas break; needs discipline
Business tool linked to your shop	Sellers who sell online and offline	Make sure you can export or view your data

How to Keep Business Records in Excel

Make one sheet each for Sales, Expenses and Stock.
Use the same columns every day: Date, Description, Quantity, Amount, Payment method, Reference.
Add a monthly summary sheet: total sales minus total expenses.
Back up the file to email or cloud storage weekly.

Let My Business Keep Your Records

If you sell on Buy More Mall, My Business in your seller dashboard builds records from what you already do:

Customers: built automatically from orders, invoices and enquiries, merged by phone number, with purchase history.
Stock: current levels and low-stock alerts; from Simba up, stock-in and adjustments with history and buying prices.
Expenses: rent, transport, wages and more (Simba and above).
Profit and daily cash: sales minus cost of goods and expenses (Simba and above).
Documents: numbered quotations and invoices with payments recorded.

Your figures stay private to your shop. If your package expires, your records stay readable; you renew to add new entries.

Package	Price	Active for	Products	Own website
Chui	KES 2,500	30 days	50	Shop page on Buy More Mall
Simba	KES 7,500	90 days	100	Yes: yourshop.buymoremall.co.ke
Nyati	KES 25,000	90 days	300	Yes, plus own domain
Kifaru	KES 60,000	180 days	500	Yes, plus own domain
Ndovu	KES 99,999	365 days	750	Yes, plus own domain and all premium designs

Package prices as listed on Buy More Mall in November 2026; see the packages page for current offers.

How Long Should You Keep Business Records?

Keep records and supporting documents for at least five years, which is the general period under Kenya's Tax Procedures Act; KRA can ask for them during that time. Keep longer if a matter with KRA is still open. Ask a tax adviser about your case.

Worked Example: A Hardware Shop Finds Its Leak

A hardware owner starts recording every expense for a month. She finds she spends more on daily boda deliveries than she charges customers for delivery. She adds a delivery fee and groups deliveries by area, turning a loss into a small profit.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mixing personal and business M-Pesa.
Recording sales but not expenses.
Not recording credit sales, so debts are forgotten.
Throwing away receipts.
Waiting until the tax deadline to sort records.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to keep business records?

Record every sale and expense daily in one place, keep receipts, and review totals weekly.

How long should I keep business records in Kenya?

At least five years is the general rule under the Tax Procedures Act; longer if a tax matter is open.

Do small businesses need to keep records?

Yes. Records are needed for tax returns, loans and knowing your profit.

Can I keep business records on my phone?

Yes, with a spreadsheet app or a business tool such as My Business on Buy More Mall.

What are the most important records?

Sales, expenses, stock, debtors and tax documents.

Cover photo: Pen to paper Project 365(2) Day 145 by Keith Williamson, BY 2.0, via Openverse. Cropped.

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