Farmers shift to family and digital lenders as bank, SACCO credit drops despite CBK easing

Kenyan farmers are increasingly ditching banks and SACCOs in favour of borrowing from family, friends and digital lending platforms, even as conventional borrowing costs fall. The latest Agriculture Sector Survey by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) shows a clear pivot toward informal and tech‑enabled credit, underscoring changing preferences and risk dynamics in agricultural financing….

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Internal Security and National Administration PS Dr. Raymond Omollo/photo courtesy

PS Omollo applauds S&P credit upgrade as boost for Kenya’s economic confidence

Internal Security and National Administration Principal Secretary, PS Dr. Raymond Omollo has welcomed the recent decision by S&P Global Ratings to raise Kenya’s long-term sovereign credit score from ‘B-’ to ‘B’, calling it a strong endorsement of the country’s economic direction under President William Ruto. In a post shared on his official X (Formerly twitter)…

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Coop Bank
Cooperative Bank./File photo

Banks record mixed trends in this year’s second quarter, study reveals

The Kenyan Banking Sector asset base recorded a mixed trend in the quarter ended June 30, 2024, compared to the growth in the quarter ended March 31, 2024 a study has revealed. In the recent Central Bank of Kenya commercial banks’ credit officer survey for quarter ended June 30, 2024 where 38 commercial banks and…

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Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Cooperatives and MSMEs Development Simon Chelugui.

What next for KUSCCO after loss of billions in member savings?

Stakeholders in the cooperative movement have now called for urgent measures to ensure that the country’s Sacco umbrella body, the Kenya Union of Credit Co-operatives (KUSCCO), is regulated for safety of funds and restore the image of the union. This comes after the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Cooperatives and MSMEs Development Simon Chelugui dissolved the…

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Acumen Sacco members during their AGM.

How to improve governance of cooperatives, restore members’ confidence

Kenya is reputed to have the most vibrant cooperative sector in Africa. Financial cooperatives have grown exponentially necessitating the enactment of the sector-specific Sacco Societies Act, 2008, to regulate them. It is believed some Saccos have mobilised more deposits compared to some licenced commercial banks operating in the country. But what then ails this critical…

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Photo;courtesy

Government plans to merge CMA, IRA and SASRA

The Government intends to merge three major financial regulatory bodies in the country to enhance service delivery, avoiding duplication of roles and reduce bureaucracy. According to reports, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said recently that the three regulatory bodies are Saccos Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA), Capital Markets Authority (CMA), and the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA)….

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Central Bank of Kenya.

CBK survey shows food prices decline in March, increased access to subsidized fertiliser

There has been a general reduction in prices of key food items last month compared to February. This is according to Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Agriculture Sector Survey findings. The survey conducted from March 11 to 15, 2024 was aimed at identifying market expectations and recent trends on prices of key commodities and output…

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