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CMA has approved four new licenses that expand participation and product depth in Kenya’s capital markets.
Africa Logistics Properties Limited has been cleared as a Real Estate Investment Trust Manager.
- •The approval supports the formation of a REIT targeting logistics and industrial real estate.
- •ALP develops and operates warehousing and distribution parks and has an existing development footprint in Nairobi’s industrial corridor.
- •The license positions the firm to channel long-term investment capital into logistics infrastructure linked to manufacturing, distribution, and housing supply chains.
Cinemark Consult Limited has been approved as an Authorised Securities Dealer.
- •The firm intends to serve retail clients, diaspora investors, and high-net-worth individuals. This approval adds a new intermediary focused on expanding direct market access beyond institutional investors.
- •Retail participation in Kenya’s capital markets remains low, making distribution-focused licensing significant for market depth.
Wareng Coffee Marketing Agency Limited has been licensed as a Coffee Broker under the Capital Markets (Coffee Exchange) Regulations, 2020.
- •The company is owned by the Uasin Gishu Coffee Farmers’ Co-operative Union.
- •The approval introduces a farmer-owned brokerage entity into the regulated coffee trading framework.
- •It is expected to support price transparency, strengthen value chain governance, and improve farmer participation in price discovery.
Victoria Wealth Management Limited has been licensed as a Wealth Manager.
- •The firm will offer treasury bond and bill trading, access to unit trusts through partnerships with licensed fund managers, offshore open-ended funds, and portfolio management.
- •The approval aligns with rising domestic demand for structured wealth management among high-net-worth and institutional clients seeking diversified portfolios.
The approvals come at a time when the domestic capital market is seeking broader issuer diversity, deeper liquidity, and more efficient price discovery. The expansion of licensed intermediaries increases competition in advisory, brokerage, and asset management services.