Last Updated on January 31, 2023
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) is the primary regulator of the banking industry. The primary classification of banks in Kenya is by ownership. Some banks belong to local individuals/companies while others belong to foreign individuals or organizations. Another general classification of banks is by nature, that is, microfinance banks and commercial banks.
The Central Bank of Kenya which governs banks further classifies commercial banks based on their assets. Tier 1 banks are large banks that have hundreds of billions in assets and are not likely to collapse financially. They are the top banks in Kenya. Tier 2 banks are medium-sized banks while tier 3 consists of small banks.
Currently there are 28 domestic and 14 foreign commercial banks with branches, agencies, and other outlets throughout the country; one mortgage finance company; eight representative offices of foreign banks; eleven licensed deposit taking microfinance institutions; 49 insurance companies; the Post Office Savings Bank with a large network of branches around the country; 79 foreign exchange (forex) bureaus; three licensed credit reference bureaus, 14 money remittance providers and about 200 deposit-taking licensed savings and credit cooperative organizations (SACCOs) with a membership of over 3 million Kenyans.
However, the banking sector is essentially dominated by seven tier 1 commercial banks, namely Equity Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank, Barclays Bank of Kenya, Diamond Trust Bank, Cooperative Bank, Central Bank of Africa and Standard Chartered. In addition, smaller banks have emerged and experienced tremendous growth in recent years.
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List Of Commercial Banks in Kenya
This is a partial list of Commercial Banks within the territory of Kenya.
- UBA Kenya Bank Ltd
- The Co-operative Bank
- Suntra Investment Bank Ltd
- Sterling Investment Bank
- Standard Investment Bank
- Standard Chartered
- Prime Bank
- Paramount Bank
- Oriental Commercial Bank Ltd.
- NIC Bank
- ABC Bank
- National Bank
- K-Rep Bank
- Kenya Post Office Savings Bank
- KCB Bank
- Investments & Mortgages Bank Limited – I&M Bank
- Imperial Bank Limited
- Housing Finance
- Guardian Bank Ltd.
- Giro Commercial Bank Ltd
- Fina Bank
- Fidelity Bank
- Faida Investment Bank – FIB
- Equity Bank
- Equatorial Investment Bank
- Equatorial Commercial Bank Limited
- Dyer & Blair Investment Bank
- Dubai Bank Kenya Ltd
- Dry Associates Limited
- Development Bank Of Kenya Ltd
- Co-operative Bank
- Consolidated Bank
- Commercial Bank of Africa
- Citibank N A
- Chase Bank
- CFC Stanbic Bank Limited
- Central Bank of Kenya
- Bank Of Baroda (Kenya) Ltd.
- Bank of Africa Kenya Ltd
- Afrika Investment Bank
- African Development Bank Group
- African Banking Corporation