Kenya central bank to lift moratorium on new commercial bank licenses

17 April 2025 - 10:15 By Reuters
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A tenfold increase in the minimum core capital requirements for commercial banks will further strengthen the sector, says the Central Bank of Kenya. Stock photo.
A tenfold increase in the minimum core capital requirements for commercial banks will further strengthen the sector, says the Central Bank of Kenya. Stock photo.
Image: 123RF/johan10

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) will lift a decade-long moratorium on licensing new commercial banks on July 1, it said on Wednesday.

The prohibition was imposed in 2015 against a backdrop of governance, risk management and operational challenges, the central bank said in a statement.

"Since then, significant strides have been made in strengthening the legal and regulatory framework for Kenya's banking sector," the CBK said.

A tenfold increase in the minimum core capital requirements for commercial banks to 10-billion Kenyan shillings (R1.46bn), which was introduced last December, will further strengthen the sector, the bank said.


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