Browsing: KCB GRoup

• KCB Group Plc has recorded a historic 74 per cent rise in profit after tax for the full year ending December 2021, to hit KSh 34.2 billion compared to KSh 19.6 billion a year earlier
• The bank attributed the performance to increased income, cost management and lower credit provisions which saw the Group post higher returns to shareholders
• Provisions for the period reduced by 52% to close at KSh 13.0 billion from KSh 27.2 billion a similar period in 2020

KCB Group Plc has recorded a historic 74 per cent rise in profit after tax for the full year ending December 2021, riding on an economic recovery across its key markets.

During the period under review, net profit grew to KSh 34.2 billion compared to KSh 19.6 billion a year earlier, on
the back of increased income, cost management and lower credit provisions which saw the Group post higher returns …

While others are still trying to wrap their heads around blockchains and the safety of cryptos, Africa is embracing this digital currency with both hands. So much that in Kenya, you can even buy your groceries and I mean vegetables with cryptocurrencies.

That’s right, and this is not only in urban centres like the bustling capital of Nairobi, no, no, no, but it is also in the villages, upcountry. Peasants on the Coastal towns are trading in cryptos, buying and selling. Here we are not talking of mining cryptos only but rather using the digital currency for normal day to day trade, like Is said to buy supplies.

The way it works is, the cryptocurrency, a famous one in Kenya is coined Sarafu, which has now become an accepted medium of transfer such that one can use Sarafu to trade for goods and services.

Sarafu and others like it are …

Commercial banks in Kenya have been on the limelight with accusations of abetting money laundering and being involved in national corruption scandals. Such was the case several banks which in 2018, CBK accused them of participating in payments for the National Youth Services (NYS) scandal.,

In this case, the director of public prosecution announced that he was considering prosecuting 20 senior officials in five banks, which they believe aided the laundering of at least Ksh1 billion ($10 million) looted from the National Youth Service (NYS) between January 2016 and April 2018.

These commercial banks have however developed mechanisms to conform to anti-money laundering laws developed in Kenya.

KCB Group Plc profit after tax surged six per cent to Ksh19.2 billion ($186.1million) for the nine months ending September 2019, on the back of significant growth in the loan book and non-funded income.…

Borrowers in Kenya should now expect interest rates as high as 30 per cent following the repeal of the interest rate cap law.

Parliament failed to raise the required quorum to defend the rate cap law which came into place in September 2016.

There has been a push by bankers, mainly through their lobby group-Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) to have controls on rate cap revised.

READ:Kenyan Banks begin feeling the interest rates cap effects

The law which has been in place for the last four years has controlled lending rates by commercial banks at four percentage points above the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Rate.

CBK has retained its benchmark lending rate at 9.0 per cent for the sixth straight time since bringing it down in July 30 2018.

This means banks could not charge loan at rates above 13 per cent, a move that was aimed at sparing …

KCB Bank Kenya has signed a pact with Japan based giant lender Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) to drive cross-border trade and deepen financial inclusion.

The agreement between the two largest banks in their respective regions, signed in Yokohama last week, will see the two lenders expand their financial offerings provided to clients in both East Africa and Japan, effectively enabling more cross border trade flows.

Under the deal, KCB will provide banking services—including banking accounts and cash management, trade finance, export credit agency finance and treasury related products— to customers introduced by SMBC to KCB.

“We believe that new business opportunities will arise from the rapid economic development in Kenya and therefore seek to areas of mutual partnership to support such development, utilizing the product capabilities and global and local network of both banks,” said Paul Russo, the KCB Group Director Regional Businesses during the signing ceremony on …

KCB Group is seeking to deepen its new women proposition, committing billions of shillings towards funding women owned and women run enterprises.

According to the bank, the drive is meant to strengthen its diversity and inclusivity focus as part of its sustainability agenda by simplifying financial inclusion for women.

The programme dubbed ‘Women Value Proposition’ has seen the bank disburse loans worth Ksh7.1 billion (US$68.9 million) to 1,400 women to date, KCB said in its current Sustainability Report.

It is aimed at increasing credit facilities to women alongside, providing them with technical and non- financial support.

READ ALSO:KCB commits Ksh10 million for Afro-Asia Fintech Summit

The initiative is in line with KCB Sustainability 10-point action plan on diversity and inclusion. This pillar aims to incorporate gender diversity as part of its strategic initiative to ensure that we encourage more women to take up key roles in business ventures.

“KCB …

Nairobi Security Exchange’s top share index-NSE 20 shed some 43.09 points or 1.67 per cent to stand at 2543.59 on Friday, even as volumes rose from the previous trading.

The index that tracks blue chip companies at the bourse has been on a downward streak in recent weeks, affecting other indices, amid a continued decline in large cap stocks.

READ ALSO:NSE dips as 2018 ends on a bear market territory

During the last day of the week trading, All Share Index (NASI) shed 0.28 points to stand at 148.05. The NSE 25 Share index ended 9.25 points lower to settle at 3572.56, market data shows.

Market turnover for Friday however stood at Ksh332 million (US$3.2 million) from the previous session’s Ksh179 million (US$1.7 million) as the number of shares traded rose to 12.5 million against 9.9 million posted the previous day.

Week on week turnover however retreated to Ksh1.16 …

KCB Bank Kenya has committed Ksh10 million (US$97,448) to the Afro-Asia Fintech Festival 2019, a first of its kind in the region which will be held next week.

The funds will go into supporting the mega financial technology (Fintech) summit being hosted by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

The forum will take place between July 15–16 and is themed, ‘Fintech in Savannah’, modeled along the Singapore Fintech Festival.

KCB backing is informed by the need for Kenya to continue driving innovations in the banking sector to boost financial inclusion, the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) listed lender has noted.

Speaking during the cheque handover to the CBK, KCB Group Chief Operating Officer Samuel Makome said: “For the past five years, we have made significant investments in financial technology in the realization that the future of banking is in digital finance. We will therefore remain …

KCB Group shareholders have approved the proposal to acquire 100 per cent of the issued ordinary shares of National Bank of Kenya Limited (NBK) via share swap.

This approval follows the offer made by KCB Group on April 18, 2019 to acquire the shares of struggling NBK by way of a share swap of 10 ordinary shares of NBK for every one ordinary share of KCB. The transaction is subject to regulatory and NBK shareholders approvals.

The acquisition is part of KCB’s ongoing strategy to explore opportunities for new growth while investing in and maximizing the returns from its existing businesses, the management has said.

“For us, the acquisition is an opportunity to strengthen the deposit base and lending capacity, increase cost efficiencies due to economies of scale and boost transactional revenue through leveraging of technology. NBK maintains a strong deposit franchise and a wide branch network,” said KCB

Group …