Browsing: CBK

• Bankers in Kenya are grappling with record 18-year high loan defaults due to high interest rates and a tough business environment.
• Central Bank of Kenya Governor Dr. Kamau Thugge says that despite the rise in bad loans, the banking sector remains stable and resilient
• The overall balance of payments is projected to be a surplus of $554 million in 2024 which should result in a reserves buildup of $1,920 million

The rate of loan defaults in Kenya has hit records last seen over 18 years ago as the fiscal policies meant to cushion the country from high inflation take a toll on the banking industry.

Latest industry data by Central Bank of Kenya shows that the ratio of gross non-performing loans (NPLs) to gross loans stood at 16.7 per cent in August 2024 compared to 16.3 per cent two months earlier.

Essentially this means that out of every Sh100 shillings …

• Kenyans in the diaspora increased the money they sent back home for the 12 months ending in December 2023 by $0.16 billion, reaching $4.19 billion.
• Inflows for December 2023 increased by 5 percent to $372.6 million from $355.0 million in November.
• December marked the second month, after July, to record the highest amount sent back home by Kenyans during the year.

Kenyans living and working abroad increased the money they sent back home for the 12 months ending in December 2023 by $0.16 billion, reaching $4.19 billion. This marked a 4.0 percent increase from the $4.03 billion remitted in 2022.

The rise in remittances could be attributed to the weakening shilling, as projected by Western Union. In its inaugural Global Money Transfer Index in March of the previous year, the corporation had anticipated an upswing in remittances, driven by the weakening shilling, which has now surpassed the 160 mark against …

• Kenyans in the diaspora sent home $4.19 billion in 2023 as remittance inflows to the East African country hit an all-time high.
• The high numbers signal that Kenyans living and working in the diaspora defied the inflationary pressures they still experienced to send more money back home.
• Since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Kenyans in the diaspora have had to cut spending to navigate inflationary pressures and afford to send money back home.

Kenyans in the diaspora sent home $4.19 billion in 2023 as remittance inflows to the East African country hit an all-time high, boosting foreign exchange reserves and support for families in the wake of tough economic times.

According to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), the figures are up by four per cent compared to the $4.02 billion sent in 2022.

“The inflows were strong in December 2023 at $372.6 million compared to $355.0 million …

• New standard to guide how Payment Service Providers and institutions regulated by the CBK issue quick response (QR) codes.
• Merchants will be able to receive payments from multiple channels such as banks or mobile wallets.
• CBK says long-term use of standardized QR codes will facilitate the launch of innovative products.

Consumers in Kenya can now make digital payments in an easy, fast, and convenient way through quick response codes. This week, the Central Bank issued the Kenya Quick Response Code Standard 2023, also shortened as KE-QR Code Standard 2023. 

The service seeks to boost digital payments, which are offered by multiple financial institutions in the country. Normally, many companies use in-house payments solutions meaning customers can only use vendor-specific channels. Kenya’s financial industry regulator now wants to eliminate that friction through deployment of the new standard.

The regulator said the standard will guide how Payment Service Providers and institutions …

• Equity Bank (Kenya) Limited (EBKL), has completed the acquisition of certain assets and liabilities of teachers-owned Spire Bank Limited following regulatory approvals. 
• With completion of the transaction, customers holding deposits in Spire Bank, other than the remaining deposits from Spire Bank’s controlling shareholder, and specified loan customers will now transition to become EBKL customers, having new Equity Bank accounts. 
• The decision to acquire Spire Bank’s certain assets and liabilities was inspired largely by the banks’ history with teachers who have continued to support the Bank over the years.

Equity Bank Kenya Limited (EBKL) has completed the acquisition of certain assets and liabilities of Kenyan teachers’ owned Spire Bank Limited following receipt of regulatory approvals. 

The bank had to get approvals from the Cabinet Secretary Treasury and Planning under Section 9 (1) of the Banking Act, the Central Bank of Kenya under Section 9, ( 5) of the Banking Act, the …

• Centum Investment Company has aborted its plans to sell its majority stake at Sidian Bank to Nigeria’s Access Bank PLC after a time lapse in effecting the $34 million deal. 

• The Long Stop Date of the Share Purchase Agreement has passed without all the conditions being fulfilled or waived, despite the support and guidance of the Central Bank of Kenya. 

• Further, Centum has not been able to reach acceptable terms with Access Bank PLC for a further extension of the Share Purchase Agreement.  

Kenya’s  Centum Investment Company has aborted its plans to sell its majority stake at Sidian Bank  to Nigeria’s Access Bank PLC after a time lapse in effecting the $34 million deal. 

Centum Chief Executive Officer James Mworia said the Long Stop Date of the Share Purchase Agreement has passed without all the conditions being fulfilled or waived, despite the support and guidance of the Central Bank of …

• The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has welcomed the admission of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into the East African Community (EAC)
• CBK noted that DRC’s admission to the EAC also means it joins the institutions of the community, including the EAC’s Monetary Affairs Committee (MAC)
• It also effectively expands the region’s market size and offers a path between the seas for trade and cultural integration and new investment and employment opportunities for a dynamic population of about 300 million

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has welcomed the admission of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into the East African Community (EAC).

In a statement seen by The Exchange Africa, CBK said noted that DRC’s admission to the EAC also means it joins the institutions of the community, including the EAC’s Monetary Affairs Committee (MAC).

The occasion was marked by depositing the instrument of ratification with the Secretary-General …

Microfinance institutions are trying to cope with the changing times as the market is moving to fast delivering digital systems of money transfer.

Chinese investors in lending apps

A couple of lending apps in Kenya cannot be mentioned without referring to Yahui Zhou, the chief executive of Kunlun Tech. Company Limited.

Zhou is famous for two things; his gaming company and his very expensive divorce settlement; he gave his ex-wife shares of Kunlun Tech worth US$1.1 billion.…

• Kenyan women living in the diaspora send more money home for household activities and needs than men
• They also tend to prioritize money for household needs has been attributed to the desire to meet the various needs of families back at home
• There remains a high appetite for investment opportunities in Africa from the diaspora with nearly 56 per cent who had never invested in Africa in the past being interested to start and receive more information about investing

A new study has revealed that Kenyan women living in the diaspora send more money home for household activities and needs than men.

The report, which was submitted to Pangea Trust by Samawati Capital Partners and Blue Inventure Limited and was conducted in the period of April-June 2021, reveals that on the other hand, men send funds home for investment purposes.

“We see the diaspora as a largely untapped resource in …

Yet for SME and corporate lending, credit decisions remain an extended process as information is gathered manually and appraised over, sometimes, weeks, to establish the creditworthiness of the borrower.

The need to abandon such cumbersome processes has recently seen leading banks adopt technology, such as our CreditQuest, to automate credit origination, and manage credit workflow, appraisals, documents, customer ratings and credit decisions.

This kind of technology draws all current and historical credit data onto a unified platform, giving the bank’s analysts a true single customer view of credits and collaterals.…