Search Results for: CBK
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News
CBK’s tougher capital rules could put pressure on dividends at Kenya’s biggest banks
Kenya’s largest banks could face tighter decisions over dividend distributions if the Central Bank of Kenya adopts proposed capital buffers…
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News
CBK proposes new safeguards for Kenya’s most important banks as capital rules tighten
CBK’s proposed framework would subject designated banks to additional capital requirements, closer supervision and formal recovery and resolution planning. The…
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News
CBK clears Nedbank’s 66% NCBA acquisition as the South African bank prepares to take control
The Central Bank of Kenya has approved Nedbank Group Limited’s acquisition of up to 66 percent of NCBA Group, taking…
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News
CBK Backs African Payment Network as PAPSS Expands Across the Continent
Kenya has joined a broader African effort to make cross-border payments cheaper and faster through the Pan-African Payment and Settlement…
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News
Kenya’s Digital Lending Market Grows Again as CBK Licenses 25 More Firms
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has licensed 25 additional Digital Credit Providers (DCPs), raising the number of approved digital…
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BUSINESS
CBK, Clearstream Launch Market Link to Open Kenyan Bonds to Global Investors
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and Clearstream have announced the launch of the Clearstream-Kenya Link, a new market infrastructure…
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News
CBK Keeps Pressure on Bank Capital Even as Lending Picks Up
Kenyan lenders are being pushed to strengthen their balance sheets even as borrowing conditions ease and private-sector lending gathers pace.…
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News
CBK Data Shows Digital Banking Growth Outpacing Investment in Research Teams
A large section of Kenya’s banking industry went through 2025 without allocating money to research and development, according to findings…
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News
Kenya Expands List Of Licensed Digital Lenders With 32 New CBK Approvals
The Central Bank of Kenya has licensed 32 additional digital credit providers, pushing the total number of approved lenders in…
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BUSINESS
Banks Push Back After CBK Orders Rate Changes
The CBK lending rate order requires commercial banks in Kenya to immediately adjust lending rates following changes to the Central…
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News
CBK licenses 42 more digital lenders
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has announced that it has granted operating licenses to an additional 42 Digital Credit…
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News
CBK’s Fee Cap Gambit: Cheaper Mobile Money for Kenyans, or a Slow Squeeze on M-Pesa’s Golden Engine?
For nearly two decades, M-Pesa has operated like essential infrastructure and untouchable monopoly at the same time — a utility…
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News
CBK Digital Fraud Compensation Plan Could Finally Force Telcos and Banks to Refund Scam Victims — Whether They Like It or Not
Kenya’s fintech revolution has long been celebrated for its ingenuity — a country where almost everyone can send money across…
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News
Absa Bank Kenya Appoints Former CBK Chief Mohammed Nyaoga as New Chairman
Absa Bank Kenya has tapped former Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) chairman Mohammed Nyaoga as its new board chair, effective…
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News
CBK’s KESONIA Model Explained: What Kenya’s New Loan Pricing System Means For Mobile Loans And Digital Banking
For years, borrowers have complained about the mismatch between Central Bank policy and the rates they actually face in banking…
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BUSINESS
CBK Approves New Tool to Transform Credit Data Quality in Kenya
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has officially approved the CIS ValiData tool, an innovative credit data validation and submission…
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News
Kenya Dirty Money Crackdown Intensifies with CBK-UK Treasury Partnership to Protect Financial Sector
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has partnered with the United Kingdom’s finance ministry as part of a broader Kenya…
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BUSINESS
Digital Lenders Under Scrutiny as CBK Flags Compliance Gaps in Fight Against Dirty Money
In recent years, digital lenders have become a lifeline for millions of Kenyans locked out of traditional banking. But a…
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News
M-Pesa, PesaLink, and the CBK: The Battle for Kenya’s Financial Future
Kenya has one of the most dynamic financial systems in the world but there’s something about to change – the…
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News
CBK Licenses 7 More Digital Credit Providers
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has issued operating licenses to 7 new Digital Credit Providers (DCPs). This now brings…
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News
CBK approves LemFi’s Remittance to Kenya in partnership with Flex Money Transfer
LemFi, the cross-border payment solution that enables the diaspora community to send and receive money back home has received additional…
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News
CBK to launch DhowCSD, a digital platform for purchase of Treasury Bills and Bonds
Kenyans will from next month be able to buy government securities from a digital platform known as DhowCSD. The system…
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News
Kenyan Senate is spearheading talks with CBK to legalize crypto
The Kenyan Senate has taken a proactive step to engage the Central Bank in discussions that could see the country…
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News
CBK licenses 12 more digital lenders
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has granted operating licenses to an additional 12 Digital Credit Providers (DCPs), bringing the…
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News
Digital lenders claim CBK is delaying issuance of licenses
Digital lenders have raised concerns over delays in obtaining operational licences from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). Business Daily…
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News
Google directs digital loan apps to obtain CBK license before appearing on Play Store
The new regulations by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) requiring proper registration of all digital loan apps has gotten…
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News
CBK kick-starts process to remove 4.2 million digital borrowers from CRB
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has directed financial institutions to work with more than four million Kenyans who have…
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News
CBK announces split of Airtel Money from Airtel Networks
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) on Tuesday announced the successful separation and transfer of Airtel money from its mobile…
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News
CBK releases list of companies licensed to offer digital loans in Kenya
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has released a list of companies licensed to operate as Digital Credit Providers (DCPs)…
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BUSINESS
CBK grants digital payments provider DPO Group a PSP license to operate in Kenya
African digital payments provider DPO Group Kenya has received official approval from the Central Bank of Kenya to operate as…
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Startups
CBK grants Virtual Pay International a PSP License to operate in Kenya
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has granted Virtual Pay International Limited a license to operate as a Payment Service…
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News
CBK Governor Says Flutterwave is Not Licensed To Operate In Kenya
The Governor of the Central Bank Of Kenya (CBK), Dr Patrick Njoroge has said that fintech companies Flutterwave and Chipper…
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News
Our position on cryptocurrencies has not changed, CBK Governor says
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Patrick Njoroge has insisted that the bank’s position on the use of cryptocurrencies…
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BUSINESS
CBK Blocks over 300 Mobile Lenders from Listing Defaulters at CRBs
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has barred over 337 unregulated digital and credit-only lenders from listing loan defaulters at…
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BUSINESS
Banks to start blacklisting loan defaulters at CRBs after CBK’s Nod
Since Kenya reported the first case of Covid-19 in March, several measures were hastily put in place to cushion citizens…
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News
Digital Lenders Oppose CBK’s Plans to Regulate Mobile Loan Interest Rates
As part of the Central Bank of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the banking regulator is about to be given power…
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BUSINESS
CBK Seeks to Regulate Digital Lenders in Kenya in new Proposed Bill
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) seeks to regulate mobile lending loan rates in a new bill proposed to parliament.…
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News
Safaricom Wanted CBK To Limit Free M-PESA Transfers To 5 Per Day After Massive Losses
Free M-PESA cash transfers for transactions less than Ksh 1000 is very helpful. It’s a measure put forward by the…
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News
Cheaper deposits and fewer bad loans powered Kenya’s bank profit rebound
Kenya’s biggest banks found a more profitable formula in the first half of 2026 as cheaper deposits and fewer loan…
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News
Kenyan Web3 startups raise Sh4.4bn since 2021, report shows
Hashed Emergent, the venture capital firm accelerating web3 adoption in Africa and other emerging markets, has released the inaugural edition…
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News
Kenya’s Crypto Licence Rules Target Long-Term Operators Instead of Speculators
When Kenya’s Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) Regulations, 2026 were published, much of the attention focused on paid-up capital requirements,…
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News
Court Bars Unlicensed Digital Lenders From Enforcing Loan Agreements in Kenya
A Nairobi Small Claims Court has ruled that unlicensed digital lenders in Kenya cannot rely on the courts to recover…
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News
Kenya’s New Crypto Rules Prioritize Financial Stability. Can Innovation Keep Pace?
Kenya’s cryptocurrency market operated in a legal grey area. Exchanges, wallet providers and stablecoin businesses attracted a growing user base,…
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Interviews
ESET’s Allan Juma On The Rising Wave of Cryptocurrency Scams and Cyber Frauds
Cryptocurrency has been pitched as Africa’s path to financial inclusion, but for a growing number of users, it’s become the…
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News
I&M Bank Appoints Abdi Mohamed as Kenya CEO
I&M Group has appointed Abdi Mohamed as Chief Executive Officer of I&M Bank Kenya, pending regulatory approval from the Central…
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News
The Standard Chartered Deal That Sits Behind Kenya’s Foreign Bond Market Ambitions
When Kenya’s new link to global securities settlement infrastructure goes live on June 29, Standard Chartered Bank Kenya will quietly…
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News
MPs Reject VAT on M-Pesa Transfers as Digital Payments Become Mainstream
Kenyan lawmakers have moved to preserve the M-Pesa VAT exemption proposed under the Finance Bill 2026, shielding mobile money transfers…
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News
Diaspora Money Is Paying More of Kenya’s Household Bills Than Previously Known
Kenya diaspora remittances are increasingly being used to pay for food, education and healthcare, according to a landmark household survey…
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News
Kenyan Farmers Keep Borrowing but the Hustler Fund Is Losing Its Place
Farmers in Kenya are borrowing more to finance their operations but are stepping back from the Hustler Fund, according to…
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BUSINESS
Equity Bank Introduces Preferential Forex Rates Solution for Customer Convenience
Negotiating foreign exchange (FX) rates has traditionally been a cumbersome process, requiring individuals and businesses to visit bank branches or get…
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BUSINESS
Kenyan Banks Lend Ksh.326.5 Billion to MSMEs in 2025
Kenya’s banking sector extended Ksh.326.5 billion in new loans to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in 2025, shattering the…
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Startups
Moniepoint Acquires a Controlling Stake in Kenya’s Sumac Microfinance Bank
Nigeria’s fintech Moniepoint has completed its acquisition of a 78% stake in Sumac Microfinance Bank, establishing a regulated entry into…
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BUSINESS
Safaricom’s M-Pesa Update Masks Phone Numbers and Ends an Era of Open Customer Data
The digital footprints left behind after a simple 500-shilling transfer are about to shrink. Starting Tuesday, 24 March 2026, Safaricom…
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News
Cheaper Loans, Cautious Banks, and an Economy Trying to Regain Its Nerve
Kenya’s private sector credit growth is back in positive territory after a bruising stretch that saw lending contract by 2.9…
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News
The Central Bank’s Law Review Puts Kenya’s Fintech Oversight Framework Under Strain
The CBK law review has arrived at an awkward moment for Kenya’s financial system. The Central Bank of Kenya is…
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TRENDING
CAK Approves KCB Group’s Acquisition of Fintech Firm Riverbank Solutions
The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) has formally approved KCB Group PLC’s acquisition of a 75% stake in the fintech…
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News
A Safaricom Sale, A Nervous Shilling, And A Central Bank Choosing Arithmetic Over Symbolism
Central banks rarely volunteer opinions on how governments should raise money. They police inflation, manage liquidity, and safeguard market confidence.…
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BUSINESS
Kenyan Regulators Back Government’s Safaricom Stake Sale
Kenyan regulatory heads have formally endorsed the government’s plan to divest a 15% stake in Safaricom PLC to the Vodacom…
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BUSINESS
Faulu Bank Increases Mobile Loan Limit to Ksh. 100,000 to Meet Rising Credit Demand
As Kenyan households continue to navigate persistent inflationary pressures and irregular cash flows, digital credit has emerged as a critical…
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News
Kenya sets Sh50m capital bar for cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets
Kenya is moving to formalise the cryptocurrency market by setting minimum capital thresholds for firms dealing in virtual assets, with…
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BUSINESS
In Kenya’s Bid to Split M-Pesa, Vodacom Confronts the Limits of Its Reach
Vodacom Group has ruled out separating M-Pesa from Safaricom, defying pressure from Kenya’s central bank and a growing chorus of…
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News
Fuliza, Kamilisha, and the New Logic of Credit in Kenya’s Always-On Mobile Economy
Kenya’s appetite for quick credit has turned digital overdrafts into a financial mainstay. What began as a mobile money convenience…
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News
How a Tax Tribunal Just Reshaped Kenya’s Digital Money Rail
Kenya’s payments infrastructure has always worked behind the scenes — a lattice of connections between banks, card networks, and mobile…
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TRENDING
KCB Group to Acquire Stake in Fintech Firm Pesapal, Marking Second Major Fintech Investment in 8 Months
KCB Group Plc has announced that it has signed a deal to acquire a minority stake in Pesapal Limited, a…
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BUSINESS
Co-op Bank Joins Kenya’s Digital Overdraft Race With Kamilisha
When the Co-operative Bank of Kenya rolled out its new overdraft product, Kamilisha, it wasn’t just launching another loan facility.…
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BUSINESS
Family Bank to List on NSE in 2026 After Shareholder Approval
Family Bank shareholders on Monday approved the lender’s plan to list on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), a strategic move…
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News
Stanbic–NCBA Merger Talks Stir Fresh Jitters Across Kenya’s Banking Sector
In a deal that could rearrange familiar ground, Bloomberg reports that Standard Bank’s Kenyan unit has opened formal negotiations to…
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News
Kenya’s Microfinance Loan Rules Put Industry in Survival Mode
Microfinance banks in Kenya were designed to fill a gap. They were supposed to serve the market that traditional banks…
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News
Kenya’s New Loan Pricing Model: What KESONIA Means for Borrowers, Banks, and the Cost of Credit
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has put commercial banks on notice: stop hiding behind excuses and start lowering lending…
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News
Digital Lending in Kenya Thrives but Microloans Under Sh1,000 Show Skyrocketing Default Rates
Kenya’s digital lending boom has opened doors for millions, but the smallest loans are proving the hardest to recover. Central…
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News
Cyber Fraud in Kenyan Banks Surges to Sh1.59 Billion as Hackers Exploit Mobile Banking
Kenya’s reputation as a trailblazer in mobile money is under fresh scrutiny. Last year, hackers siphoned a record Sh1.59 billion…
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News
Kenya and Nigeria Confront Digital Lending Risks with Contrasting Rules
Digital lending has exploded across Africa, offering instant credit through mobile phones to households, students, and small businesses. But the…
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BUSINESS
Kenya Licenses 27 New Digital Lenders
Kenya’s Central Bank (CBK) has announced the licensing of an additional 27 Digital Credit Providers (DCPs), bringing the total number…
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News
Digital Lenders Push for Higher Licensing Threshold to Filter Speculators
A group of Kenya’s digital lenders is calling on the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to raise the licensing threshold…
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News
ODPC Moves to Revoke Licences of Rogue Digital Lenders Kenya Over Data Abuse
For many Kenyans, digital loans have become a lifeline—quick money for medical bills, school fees, or simply making it to…
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News
Farmers Abandon Hustler Fund as Banks and Fuliza Become the New Go-To Credit Sources
Kenyan farmers are shifting away from the government-backed Hustler Fund and microfinance lenders, turning instead to banks and digital loans…
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News
Why Cybersecurity Is No Longer Optional in Africa’s Mobile‑First Economy
As Africa races ahead in its digital transformation, mobile devices have become the primary access point for banking, health services,…
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News
Kenya’s Crypto Regulator Dispute Deepens as Key Players Pull Back
Kenya’s attempt to establish a dedicated crypto regulator is facing serious pushback — even before it launches. The proposed Virtual…
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BUSINESS
From OTP Bypass to Crypto Cash-Out: How the Kenyan Bank IT System Fraud Unfolded Without Detection
It reads like a cybercrime thriller — but for one unnamed Kenyan bank, it was a costly reality. In a…
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BUSINESS
Kenya Money Laundering Crackdown Triggers Global Risk Alarm as Fintech, Trade Face Fallout
Kenya is facing unprecedented scrutiny over a massive surge in suspicious financial activity, with Sh6.97 trillion flagged in just three…
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BUSINESS
How AI Credit Risk Scoring in Kenya Is Changing Who Gets Loans and How Fast
AI credit risk scoring in Kenya is fast becoming the leading application of artificial intelligence in the country’s banking sector,…
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BUSINESS
Zenith Bank Eyes Kenya Market Entry Amid Rising Capital Pressures
Nigeria’s Zenith Bank is laying the groundwork for a bold East African expansion, with confidential talks underway to acquire a…
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BUSINESS
Banks Write Off SME Loans Worth Sh8.8 Billion as Kenya’s Small Businesses Collapse Under High Interest Rates
By the time 2024 closed, over 95,000 loan accounts held by Kenya’s small businesses (SMEs) had disappeared—wiped clean from the…
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News
Why Kenya Is on the EU Watchlist and What It Means for Africa’s Financial, Tech, and Trade Future
The European Union has added Kenya to its watchlist of high-risk third countries, signaling that the bloc views the country’s…
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News
Is M-Pesa 2.0 Upgrade Enough to Keep Airtel Money at Bay? Here’s What Safaricom’s $309M Bet Means
Making its boldest move with M-Pesa 2.0 upgrade, Safaricom, however, is investing over $309 million annually to transform the mobile…
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BUSINESS
Cash is still King: CDMs and Self-Service Banking Rise in Kenya
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you are unable to pay for a product or service, simply…
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News
Kenya VASP Bill 2025 vs U.S. DeFi Repeal: Two Diverging Paths for Crypto Regulation
In a historic moment for international crypto regulation, U.S. President Donald Trump has just signed off on a resolution to…
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News
Kenya’s Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill 2025: Progressive Step or Potential Overregulation
As cryptocurrency adoption continues to surge across the globe, Kenya with its technology-savvy citizens and a fast-growing digital economy has…
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News
Kenya Moves to Regulate Crypto With a New Virtual Asset Bill
Kenya is set to usher in new laws for digital assets regulations with the introduction of the Virtual Asset Service…
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News
Stablecoin Regulation in Kenya: How New Rules Could Reshape Digital Finance
The global push for stablecoin regulation is reshaping financial landscapes, and Kenya is no exception. As discussions around stablecoin regulation…
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News
Airtel Money Google Play Integration: Zero-Fee App Payments Now Live!
Airtel Money Google Play integration is now available and will allow Airtel Money customers in Kenya to conveniently, safely, and…
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BUSINESS
Lipa Later and Odyssey Capital Insolvency: A Turning Point for Kenya’s Fintech Industry?
Kenya’s fintech industry is headed for a seismic change after the announcement of Lipa Later and Odyssey Capital’s insolvency. Together,…
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News
NFT Fundraising in Kenya: A Legal Loophole or the Future of Startup Capital?
In an unprecedented declaration, the Commissioner of the US Securities and Exchange Policy (SEC) – Hester Peirce – hinted that…
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BUSINESS
Kenyan Banks Reject KRA’s System Integration Mandate
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is facing strong resistance from Kenyan banks in its push to integrate the tax system…
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News
Kenya to Host 61st AERC Plenary, Focusing on Africa’s FinTech Revolution
Kenya will host the 61st Biannual Plenary Session on the FinTech Revolution in Africa on December 1st, 2024. The plenary…
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News
Mobile Money Subscriptions in Kenya Rise to 38.7 Million
Mobile money subscriptions in Kenya have grown to 38.7 million, translating to a penetration rate of 75%. This is according…
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News
Visa cardholders to get a chance to win Carrefour Shopping Discounts
Visa has partnered with Carrefour to offer Visa Cardholders who shop on the weekends a chance to win exclusive discounts…
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News
dLocal secures remittance services partnership with KCB Bank
dLocal KCB Partnership: More than a year after securing payment service provider licences from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK)…
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Startups
LemFi receives regulatory approval to offer remittance services in Kenya in partnership with Wapi Pay
LemFi, the cross-border payment solution that enables the diaspora community to send and receive money back home has received approval…
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News
Airtel removes withdrawal code when receiving money in Kenya
Airtel Money customers can now receive money directly into their mobile money wallet from any network without the withdrawal code…
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News
Kenya Takes Step Towards Regulating Cryptocurrencies
Kenyan parliament has directed the Blockchain Association of Kenya (BAK) to prepare the first draft of the Crypto Bill, also…
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