A welfare group is normally started to support its members, socially, economically and spiritually during difficult times, or when they cannot solely support themselves. Welfare groups can be started for different reasons and goals, most however, help in case of funeral arrangements, promote the pursuit of work, education, or a better standard of living.

In Kenya, to have a proper functioning welfare group, one needs to register the group under the Registrar of Societies. The following steps will enable you have your group up and running in no time:

1. Conduct an official name search. This is to confirm that the proposed name is available for registration. Conduct an online official name search via the eCitizen ‘Office of the Attorney General and Department of Justice’.
2. A list of designated members of the welfare association. You need a minimum of 10 members to register an association.
3. The names, occupations, and postal addresses for officials, including the chairman, treasurer and secretary. In case you have assistant officials, include their details too. Copies of the National ID, KRA PIN and Passport photos of all the officials. The roles for each of these positions should be clearly defined, written down, and put in a document (preferably the constitution) so that every official understands the scope of their work, and signs against it.
4. Your group must draft a constitution that includes its objectives/goals. This constitution will be the association’s guide. Once this has been drafted and approved, every member should get a copy that they sign and commit to the terms and conditions of the school.
5. Provide the proposed physical address of the welfare association.
6. Members need to hold a meeting seeking registration and showing elected officials. Minutes of the meeting should be attached to the application.
7. On eCitizen, your group will be issued two downloadable forms to complete; Application of Registration of a Society Form A & Form B Registered Office Address.
8. Pay a registration fee of Ksh.5,000/-.

After the registration is complete, the group must adhere to the following;

1. Renew the certificate annually after the first two years of registration.
2. Submit Annual Progress Reports to the Director Social Development
3. Allow accessibility of records to the Director Social Development upon request or when demanded to do so.

Failure to adhere to the above requirements will result to deregistration of the association.

A welfare group essentially pools the organized efforts of its members for the social betterment and general improvement for them all.