Kenya Private Sector Credit Hits KSh 4.15 Trillion Record
Kenya's private sector credit stock hit an all-time high of KSh 4.15 trillion in March 2026, the sixth consecutive monthly record, recovering from a trough of KSh 3,789.10 Bn in September 2024. Year-on-year growth accelerated to 8.1%, led by building and construction up 37.1% and agriculture up 28.9%. Banking sector liquidity stood at 59.3% with profit before tax at KSh 83.90 Bn in Q4 2025. The NPL ratio ticked up to 15.6%, the second increase of 2026, but remains more than 200bps below the 17.6% cycle peak of August 2025.
Centum Closes 3-Year Share Buyback With 10.84M Shares Acquired, Far Short of 66.54M Target
Centum Investment Company PLC has closed its three-year share buyback programme, acquiring 10,839,300 ordinary shares across two phases against an original target of 66.54 million shares. The first phase (Feb 2023 to Sep 2024) yielded 10,688,500 shares at a maximum price of KSh 9.03. The second phase, running Oct 2024 to Mar 2026 at a maximum of KSh 9.51, added only 150,800 shares as the stock re-rated above the buyback threshold. All acquired shares are held as treasury stock. NSE float now stands at 644.75 million ordinary shares.120 of Kenya's State-Funded Digital Hubs are Incomplete or Empty
Out of 391 planned digital hubs, 271 are fully equipped and operational, while 120 remain incomplete or empty.
World Bank Approves KSh 71bn For Isiolo-Mandera Road, Fibre Optic Cable
The World Bank has approved US$550 million (KSh 71 billion) to upgrade 508 km of the 740 km Isiolo–Mandera road and roll out more than 1,200 kilometres of fibre optic cableSasini Exits Avocado Processing After Houthi Disruptions Cut Shipments by 69%
Sasini PLC has invited sealed tenders for the sale of its avocado processing and packing plant at Sameer Industrial Park, Nairobi, through subsidiary Sasini Avocado EPZ Limited. The move follows two years of losses in the fruit segment after Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping reduced container shipments from 71 in FY2024 to just 22 in FY2025. The plant, commissioned in 2021, processes up to 8 tonnes per hour. Tenders close 8 May 2026. Sasini is pivoting toward Asian markets as it retreats from direct processing.KESONIA, Lower Rates, and the New Profit Test for Kenya's Banks- Wall Street Africa FY25 Kenya Banking Sector Report
After nearly two years of strong macro tailwinds, banks are now being forced to prove how much of their profitability was structural and how much was simply helped by high interest rates, elevated Treasury bill yields and foreign exchange volatility.
Wall Street Africa Group Launches Inaugural Kenya Banking Sector Report
Wall Street Africa Group’s inaugural banking sector report shows that FY2025 marked the end of easy earnings for Kenyan banks. FY2026 now set to test which institutions can sustain performance in a lower-rate, tighter-margin environment.
Kenya's Fuel Shortages Bite Despite State Assurances
Private Capital Firm Targets US$ 6bn for LAPSSET Buildout
Afri Fund Capital plans to issue debt across multiple markets, with listings on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE) alongside a third exchange in the Middle East or Asia.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.Kenya’s EV Growth Still Has Little Impact on Power Demand
Electric mobility consumption remained dwarfed even by public utilities such as street lighting, which used 66.41 GWh over the same period.Central Bank of Kenya Holds Rate Steady at 8.75%, Flags Middle East Conflict as Key Risk
The Central Bank of Kenya held its benchmark rate at 8.75% on April 8, pausing a record 10-consecutive-cut easing streak for the first time since June 2024. The MPC cited rising oil prices driven by the Middle East conflict, with Murban crude up from USD 63 in December 2025 to nearly USD 98 by late March 2026. Inflation stood at 4.4% in March, the current account deficit projection was revised up to 3.0% of GDP for 2026, and GDP growth was revised down to 5.3%.
