Business
CBK cuts lending rate to 8.75 per cent as inflation eases
Kenya’s overall inflation declined to 4.4 per cent in January 2026 from 4.5 per cent in December 2025, remaining below the midpoint of the target range of 5±2.5 per cent.
CBK
News
Senate flags Sh1.9 billion voided IFMIS payments in Kwale County
The County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) directed Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani to take administrative action against county officers who failed to submit critical documents to the Office of the Auditor-General during the 2024/25 audit cycle.
News
CBK warns against decorative use of banknotes, cites legal risks and rising costs
While the Bank clarified that it does not object to the use of cash as a gift, it stressed that currency should not be subjected to any action that alters, damages or defaces it.
Business
CBK says Safaricom stake sale will not threaten financial stability
CBK Governor Kamau Thugge told the National Assembly’s joint committee on Finance and National Planning and Public Debt and Privatisation that the sale of a 15 percent government stake to South Africa’s Vodacom Group is unlikely to affect M-Pesa, the mobile money service holding more than Sh250 billion in customer funds.
Business
Mobile money agents see record Sh430 billion drop in cash handled
Data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) shows that cash managed by agents dropped to Sh7.514 trillion between January and November last year, from Sh7.944 trillion during the same period in 2024.
Business
CBK offers 281 tonnes of old coins for smelting
Bids for the coins will close on January 22, 2026, following a three-year coin minting tender that closed last month, signalling the regulator’s intent to introduce fresh coins. Like most central banks, the CBK routinely withdraws coins and banknotes that have deteriorated over time.
Business
Central Bank licenses 42 more digital credit providers
The bank noted that each application underwent rigorous review, focusing on business models, consumer protection measures, and the fitness and propriety of proposed shareholders, directors, and management.
Business
KCB lowers loan base rate to 9.0% as new CBK pricing rules take effect
The change, which took effect on December 1, 2025, marks a major shift in how loans will now be priced under the bank’s updated credit framework.
Business
Half of banks stick to CBR, confusing loan comparisons
The regulator confirmed that lenders have settled on varying benchmarks as they roll out the revised risk-based pricing model, meaning customers will now rely on different base rates depending on the bank.
Business
Kenya’s current account deficit rses to 2.2 percent of GDP
A deficit shows that outflows are higher than inflows, meaning the economy must rely on outside funding to maintain stability. Kenya’s goods trade balance remains the main source of the gap due to the country’s reliance on imported inputs, machinery and consumer products.
Business
CBK opens Sh20 billion voluntary switch for FXD1/2016/010 holders
The Central Bank of Kenya has opened a Sh20 billion voluntary switch auction, allowing FXD1/2016/010 holders to move into FXD1/2022/015, aiming to improve market efficiency and portfolio management.
Business
Kenya’s interest rates fall as inflation holds at 4.5% in November
Presenting the November 2025 Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) update on Wednesday, Thugge said improved global conditions and recent policy moves at home were helping steady the economic outlook.