KESONIA, Lower Rates, and the New Profit Test for Kenya's Banks- Wall Street Africa FY25 Kenya Banking Sector Report
After nearly two years of strong macro tailwinds, banks are now being forced to prove how much of their profitability was structural and how much was simply helped by high interest rates, elevated Treasury bill yields and foreign exchange volatility.
Nigeria's Zenith Bank Completes Paramount Bank Kenya Acquisition
Zenith Bank Plc has completed the acquisition of Paramount Bank Kenya Limited, gaining its first East African foothold. The deal covers the bank's entire share capital plus subsidiaries PB Capital and Paramount Bancassurance. Paramount posted a KSh370 Mn profit in FY2025 on total assets of KSh17.11 Bn. The acquisition price was not disclosed.
DTB Kenya Completes Burundi Divestiture, Subsidiary Profit Collapsed 56% in Final Year
Diamond Trust Bank Kenya has completed the sale of its entire 83.67% shareholding in Diamond Trust Bank Burundi S.A. to a consortium of primarily Burundian investors, closing a 16-year regional presence that began in 2009. The transaction, completed on 31 December 2025, followed regulatory approval from the Bank of the Republic of Burundi. DTB Burundi had contributed just KSh 50.6 million to group pre-tax profit in FY2024, down 56% year-on-year, as total assets contracted from KSh 5.9 billion to KSh 4.6 billion amid Burundi's 39% inflation environment.NCBA Posts Record KSh 23.4Bn profit as Nedbank Takeover Looms
NCBA Group PLC posted a record post-merger profit after tax of KSh 23.39 Bn for the full year ended 31 December 2025, up 7.0%, driven by a 27.7% surge in net interest income to KSh 44.08 Bn as funding costs collapsed. Total dividend rose 29.1% to KSh 7.10 per share, the highest since the 2019 CBA-NIC merger. Nedbank of South Africa has tabled a $855 million bid for 66% of NCBA, valued at 1.4 times book. CMA waiver secured February 2026. CBK approval expected Q3 2026, with deal closure targeted late 2026.Kenya Targets Over US$ 2bn in Investment Deals at #KIICO2026
Kenya has officially launched the Kenya International Investment Conference (KIICO) 2026, a flagship investment forum expected to mobilise more than Sh260 billion ($2 billion) in new investment commitments
Equity Group Shifts Expansion Plans to Angola as Ethiopia Entry Delays Persist
Equity Group is prioritizing expansion into Angola through a planned acquisition in Luanda, as regulatory and licensing delays continue to slow its long-standing efforts to enter Ethiopia.
Zamara Deal Enters EAC Probe as Amethis Seeks Minority Stake
The EAC Competition Authority has opened an inquiry into a proposed acquisition by Amethis Fund III S.C.A. SICAV-RAIF of a 39.5% stake in Zamara Holdings Limited,James Mworia's Centum: All Deals, Exits and Write-Offs
From filing clerk to Kenya's youngest CEO of a listed company, James Mworia has led Centum Investment since December 2008. This record covers every acquisition, exit, capital raise, impairment and write-off across his 17-year tenure: the 19.5 billion shilling Coca-Cola beverages exit, the UAP Holdings sale to Old Mutual, the 2.097 billion shilling Amu Power write-off, and the Sidian Bank exit concluded 12 March 2026. Portfolio carrying value as at 31 March 2025 stood at 50.577 billion shillings against an inherited base of approximately 6 billion shillings.Zenith Bank Targets London Listing to Drive Global Expansion
Zenith Bank Plc is planning a 2027 listing on the London Stock Exchange to expand access to international capital and support its growing cross-border operations. The move follows regulatory recapitalization in Nigeria and aligns with a broader strategy to scale global business, particularly in trade and investment flows.Centum Investments Exits Sidian Bank After 22 Years
Centum Investment Company has completed the sale of its remaining 50% stake in Bakki Holdco Limited, ending its 22-year investment in Sidian Bank. The exit follows six transactions between October 2023 and March 2026, recovering an estimated 5.2 billion shillings against a total entry cost of 4.7 billion shillings. The divestiture included a failed 4.3 billion shilling deal with Nigeria's Access Bank in 2022, before Centum shifted to piecemeal sales. The final exit comes as Sidian, reclassified as a medium-tier lender by the CBK in September 2025, posted a nine-month profit of 1.4 billion shillings.Parliament Clears Safaricom Stake Sale With Six Conditions
National Assembly approved the sale of a 15% government stake in Safaricom PLC to Vodacom Group on 10 March 2026, clearing the country's largest post-independence divestiture. The KSh 204.3 billion transaction gives Vodacom majority control at 55%. Parliament attached six binding conditions, including no staff redundancies, a 10-year dealer protection period, and ring-fencing of all proceeds into the newly signed National Infrastructure Fund. Four regulatory approvals remain outstanding, including a final determination from the Central Bank of Kenya, which has not yet cleared the change of control over M-Pesa.Aga Khan Sells Nation Media Group Majority Stake to Tanzanian billionaire Rostam Azizi
Tanzania's first dollar billionaire Rostam Azizi is acquiring AKFED's 54.08% stake in Nation Media Group via Taarifa Ltd. Azizi, whose Taifa Group spans LPG, contract mining, aviation, and media, co-founded Mwananchi Communications in 1999 before selling out to NMG. He now returns as majority owner of East and Central Africa's largest independent media house, with regulatory approval expected within three to four months.
