Kimathi Kiambi

[Ramah Nyang @Ramah_Nyang]

#Kenya’s private sector credit growth was in deep freeze for most of 2024 & early 2025. Only slowly - and grudgingly - did it turn positive from the middle of Q2-25. In fact, lending to manufacturing and households shrunk for most of the 12-months to September. Despite that, @kcbgroup & @StanbicKE reported double digit increases in their loan portfolios in 2025, at 17.7% and 18.6%, respectively.

So where, exactly, did this credit demand come from?

Credit appetite from firms in energy, manufacturing, transport & communications were key drivers, Lawrence Kimathi [@kiambi_k], Group Finance Director at KCB Group, told me. Some of the data in Kenya’s leading economic indicators backs this up. Monthly new vehicle registrations rose from 2024’s average of 13,876 units to an average of 23,751 - a 71% increase.

Corporate appetite for lending grew at a much faster pace than lending to households, and the composition of KCB’s loan portfolio reflects that.

Corporate loans share of the entire portfolio rose by 300 basis, points while retail’s share of the book contracted by a similar amount. Considering the decade-plus erosion of real household incomes through to 2024, a fall in demand for personal #credit from banks is not surprising.

However, despite this strong 2025 rebound, Paul Russo [@Saagite] and his management team are playing it safe for the year ahead. They’ve penciled in much more conservative estimates for FY 26: just 10% for loan growth and 9% for deposits.

Which begs the question: Why?

[KCB Group Plc @kcbgroup]

@Saagite “Our 2025 performance reflects the strength of the KCB franchise, the resilience of our regional footprint, and the continued trust that customers place in us."

#KCB2025FYResults #ForPeopleForBetter

[KCB Group Plc @kcbgroup]

KCB Group PLC posted KShs. 68.4 Billion in profit after tax for the full year ending December 2025, up 11% on an expanded loan book that delivered higher income across key business lines coupled with sustained cost management across the Group.

#KCB2025FYResults

[SokoAnalyst @SokoAnalyst]

In that single moment, silence became a language. A daughter knelt before her mother, her hands trembling as she offered the white fedora — a relic of storms weathered, of prisons endured, and of a dream deferred yet never extinguished. The hat was not just cloth and brim; it was memory woven into destiny.

Ida’s eyes, heavy with both grief and pride, saw not a hat but the spirit of a man who had carried a nation’s burden on his brow. It was the passing of a torch in African fashion — not through words but through gesture, the kind that binds ancestors to the living and keeps a name breathing long after its bearer sleeps.

In many cultures, kneeling is not submission but reverence — a bridge between generations. Winnie’s bow was not of weakness but strength, a daughter anchoring her mother’s breaking heart, whispering silently that though the king has fallen, his lineage will not falter. The fedora became his crown of immortality.

And in that quiet room filled with echoes of struggle and song, time folded. The past met the present, and Kenya’s story found another verse. The photo will outlive speeches and statues, because it captures what words cannot: the inheritance of courage, the endurance of legacy, and the sacred ritual of farewell.

[Lamax Elliot @LamaxElliott]

Financial expertise meets engaging conversation.

A conversation between Lawrence Kimathi CFO & @AmbokoJH is just a special kind of chat, the bashing, the banter is just top notch, my humble opinion though.
How many apps does KCB have 😂😂😂Always pleasure listening to these guys

[KCB Kenya @KCBInKenya]

The transaction reflects ongoing market developments to enhance the banking sector's resilience.

With the legal transaction now completed, both institutions will begin the transition process to ensure a seamless integration. In the interim, customers will continue to access services through their existing banking channels – whether with @National_Bank or Access Bank Kenya.

#ForPeopleForBetter #KCBNiYetu

[KCB Kenya @KCBInKenya]

KCB Group PLC (KCB Group) and Access Bank Plc (@myaccessbank ) have completed the sale of National Bank of Kenya (@National_Bank ) to Access Bank Plc, marking the conclusion of a transaction that began in March 2024. This follows the receipt of all regulatory approvals customary for a transaction of this nature.

As a result, NBK, where KCB Group had 100% ownership is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Access Bank Plc. NBK and Access Bank Kenya will continue to operate independently, pending the completion of all integration processes.
#ForPeopleForBetter #KCBNiYetu

[KCB Kenya @KCBInKenya]

@kiambi_k “We have sustained improvement in return on equity across all our businesses. The return on equity across all our subsidiaries are now in double digits.”

#ForPeopleForBetter #KCBNiYetu
#KCBQ3FinancialResults2024

[KCB Kenya @KCBInKenya]

Our Group Finance Director - Lawrence Kimathi @kiambi_k taking us thought the #KCBQ3FinancialResults2023

#ForPeopleForBetter #KCBNiYetu

[KCB Kenya @KCBInKenya]

“The year 2023 delivered both triumphs and setbacks in our operating environment. Strong GDP growth, which averaged 5% in the seven countries we operate in, powered our business growth.”- Dr. Joseph Kinyua, KCB Group Chairman.
#ForPeopleForBetter #KCBNiYetu

[KCB Kenya @KCBInKenya]

@kiambi_k . "Our growth has been balanced throughout the region with key growth assets being KCB Bank Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and TMB."
#ForPeopleForBetter #KCBNiYetu #KCBQ1Financialresults2024 #Financialresults2024

[KCB Kenya @KCBInKenya]

KCB Group Plc has entered into a definitive agreement with shareholders of Trust Merchant Bank (@TMB_CD) to acquire a majority stake in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)-based lender.

[KCB Kenya @KCBInKenya]

KCB Group Chairman Andrew Kairu with Our Group CFO @kiambi_k and @wrcsafarirally CEO Phineas Kimathi at the flag off of the #WRCSafariRally at KICC. #FeelTheRoar

[Richard Kiplagat @rkiplagat]

Africa’s perception war

[Kimathi Kiambi @kiambi_k]

@CapitalFMKenya @JuneGachui @DeejayADRIAN Great playlist Chief Funk officer..Shaky! Enjoying the music sana!!

[Kimathi Kiambi @kiambi_k]

@Dkiambi @CapitalFMKenya Lol!!... the teacher was qualified

[Capital FM Kenya @CapitalFMKenya]

The gang enjoying #SundaySoulJam 😆 @JuneGachui, @DeejayADRIAN and @kiambi_k #SoulWithLawrenceKimathi

[Capital FM Kenya @CapitalFMKenya]

.@JuneGachui gave @kiambi_k the name DJ Kimathi on #SundaySoulJam! #SoulWithLawrenceKimathi

[Capital FM Kenya @CapitalFMKenya]

A good looking bunch 😃 @faridaidris, @DeejayADRIAN, @JuneGachui, @kiambi_k and @DannyMunyi #SundaySoulJam #SoulWithLawrenceKimathi

[KCB Kenya @KCBInKenya]

KCB Group CFO @kiambi_K giving his remarks as we announce the H1 2021 Financial Results. Follow live proceedings here https://t.co/8Xu5dPrqXE