Access Bank Kenya has reported a deeper third-quarter loss as rising costs, weaker non-interest income and a collapsing capital base overshadowed growth in its core lending business.
- •The lender posted a net loss of KSh 783.3 million for the period ended September, widening from 486.1 million a year earlier.
- •Net interest income rose 47% to KSh 359 million on stronger asset yields, but this improvement failed to counter a sharp drop in non-interest revenue and higher operating expenses, which rose to 1.349 billion.
- •The bank’s balance sheet showed signs of strain with shareholder's equity dropping by 98% to KSh 26.4 million from KSh 1.32 Billion as accumulated losses increased to KSh 3.84 billion from KSh 2.45 billion.
Core capital also dropped to a deficit of KSh 765 million from KSh 1Billion same period last year, placing the bank far below the Central Bank of Kenya’s three-billion-shilling minimum that all lenders must meet by December 2025.
| Metric | Sep 2024 | Sep 2025 | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net Interest Income | 244.0Mn | 359.0Mn | ▲ +47.1% |
| Non-Interest Income | 357.4Mn | 206.7Mn | ▼ −42.2% |
| Operating Income | 601.5Mn | 565.7Mn | ▼ −5.96% |
| Total Operating Expenses | 1.183Bn | 1.349Bn | ▲ +14.0% |
| Loan Loss Provision | 12.69Mn | 0.502Mn | ▼ −96.0% |
| Profit Before Tax (PBT) | −581.3Mn | −783.3Mn | ▼ −34.7% |
| Profit After Tax (PAT) | −486.1Mn | −783.3Mn | ▼ −61.1% |
| Total Assets | 14.33Bn | 15.41Bn | ▲ +7.53% |
| Total Equity | 1.321Bn | 26.40Mn | ▼ −98.0% |
| Customer Deposits | 11.95Bn | 11.73Bn | ▼ −1.84% |
| Loans & Advances (Net) | 3.688Bn | 2.651Bn | ▼ −28.1% |
| Govt Securities | 5.500Bn | 4.800Bn | ▼ −12.7% |
| Core Capital | 1.003Bn | −765.6Mn | ▼ −176.3% |
| Gross NPLs | 582.1Mn | 477.8Mn | ▼ −17.9% |
The results leave Access Bank Kenya in a vulnerable position ahead of a major integration. Earlier in the year, its parent company, Access Bank Plc of Nigeria, completed the 14.2-billion-shilling acquisition of National Bank of Kenya from KCB Group. The two Kenyan entities have not yet combined balance sheets or operations, meaning the Q3 numbers reflect the performance of the legacy Access Bank Kenya business alone.
Industry analysts say the capital weakness raises questions about the bank’s readiness for the merger and its ability to absorb integration costs. Access Bank Plc has been raising capital to support its Africa expansion, but it has not publicly announced a recapitalisation plan for the Kenyan subsidiary.
