Category: Business

The walls are closing in on Equity Bank Kenya as shocking details emerge of how the nation’s banking giant allegedly facilitated the wholesale theft of over Sh10 million from a family’s account in what investigators are calling one of the most brazen banking frauds ever witnessed in the country.

Three siblings have dragged the banking behemoth to Milimani Law Courts, accusing it of conspiring with fraudsters in a meticulously choreographed heist that saw their entire life savings vanish in just 31 days through a suspect court process that reads like a Hollywood crime thriller.

Isaac Kennedy Mwangi, Mary Karanja, and Joseph Kinuthia watched in horror as Sh10,464,725 evaporated from their joint fixed deposit account with their father David Karangi at Equity Bank’s Ngong Branch.

The money, deposited on September 27, 2024, disappeared by December 14 of the same year through what the family describes as a well-oiled criminal enterprise that exploited Kenya’s legal system.

The smoking gun in this financial nightmare is a garnishee order from a case the family knew nothing about.

When Isaac Mwangi walked into the Kitengela Branch in July 2025 for a routine balance check, he received news that would shatter any account holder’s confidence in Kenya’s banking system. The account was empty. Cleaned out. Gone.

The money had been seized to satisfy a court decree in a case filed in Embu involving Marina Group Limited, Lucy W. Muturi, and astonishingly, the Estate of David Kariuki Karangi.

Here is where the plot thickens into a grotesque mockery of justice. The case was filed against David Karangi’s estate in November 2024. There was just one problem.

David Karangi was still breathing. He would not pass away until February 2025, months after fraudsters had already obtained a court decree against his nonexistent estate.

The original lawsuit claimed Marina Group was owed Sh19.8 million for farm machinery allegedly supplied to Lucy Muturi and David Karangi’s estate.

The family vehemently denies ever receiving any goods.

They insist the debt recovery agreement presented in court is a forgery, pointing out that their father used his thumbprint for official documents, not the signature that mysteriously appeared on court papers.

What happened next in Embu should send chills down the spine of every Kenyan who trusts banks with their hard-earned money.

The case moved at supersonic speed. Filed in November 2024, it was wrapped up with a consent judgment of Sh19.8 million just 15 days later on November 27.

The parties, represented by Onyango and Aywa Advocates for Marina Group and B.K Rono and Co. Advocates for the defendants, agreed the money should be paid within two days. A court decree followed immediately.

The court documents explicitly stated that account number 0700385782428 at Equity Bank’s Ngong Branch should be debited to satisfy the judgment.

This is the account allegedly belonging to Lucy Muturi.

But on December 14, 2024, Equity Bank did something that defies all logic and banking protocols. It debited a completely different account. The family’s account. An account with a different number and registered under different names.

How does a bank, particularly one as sophisticated as Equity Bank, transfer over Sh10 million from the wrong account? The family insists they were never notified. Never contacted. Never given a chance to defend themselves. The bank simply handed over their money to lawyers for Marina Group as if it were dispensing candy.

This catastrophic failure comes at a time when Equity Bank is already reeling from multiple fraud scandals that have rocked Kenya’s financial sector.

Earlier this year, the bank fired 1,200 employees following internal investigations that uncovered over Sh1.5 billion in fraudulent transactions.

CEO James Mwangi declared he would be consistently ruthless in purging unethical workers, yet here we have a case where the bank’s own systems allegedly facilitated the looting of an innocent family’s savings.

The Sh1.5 billion heist involved 47 carefully orchestrated transactions that siphoned money from Equity Bank’s salary suspense general ledger over several months.

City lawyer Esther Bitutu Kadiki was arrested and charged in May 2025 in connection with that massive fraud, revealing how deeply criminal syndicates have penetrated Kenya’s banking institutions.

The Mwangi family case raises disturbing questions about the safeguards, or lack thereof, protecting customer accounts at Kenya’s banks. How did a garnishee order targeting one specific account number lead to money being withdrawn from an entirely different account? Why was there no verification process? Why were the rightful account holders never contacted?

In their court filing, the siblings accuse Equity Bank of conspiracy, gross negligence, and catastrophic failure to uphold its fiduciary duty. The bank, they argue, failed to provide even basic protection to their property, leading to a loss that has devastated their family financially.

The lawsuit against Marina Group and Lucy Muturi alleges fraud, conspiracy to sue a nonexistent legal entity, and production of fake debt agreements. But the most damning accusations are reserved for Equity Bank, the institution that Kenyans trust to safeguard their money.

This case exposes gaping holes in Kenya’s banking and judicial systems.

It demonstrates how a rapid fire court process in a remote courthouse, combined with a bank’s failure to execute basic account verification, can destroy a family’s financial security in less than a month.

The family is demanding full restitution of Sh10,464,725 plus interest and costs from all three defendants. As this legal battle unfolds, thousands of Equity Bank customers are left wondering a terrifying question. If it happened to the Mwangi family, could my account be next?

Equity Bank has built a reputation as a champion of financial inclusion, growing from a struggling building society to become Kenya’s second largest lender.

But with assets of Sh1.74 trillion and nearly 14,000 workers spread across seven countries, the bank now faces a crisis of confidence that no amount of marketing can fix.

For Isaac Mwangi and his siblings, the message is clear.

The institution they trusted with their family’s future allegedly conspired in its destruction. Now they are fighting not just for their money, but for justice in a system that appears to have spectacularly failed them at every turn.

The courtroom battle ahead will determine whether Kenya’s banks can continue operating with such apparent impunity, or whether customers finally get the protection the law supposedly guarantees.

The Capital Markets Authority has imposed hefty penalties on three former senior managers of Chase Bank Kenya Limited following a protracted investigation into irregularities surrounding the lender’s failed Sh10 billion bond issue in 2015, just months before its dramatic collapse.

Former chairman Zafrullah Khan was fined Sh5 million and banned from holding director or key personnel positions in any capital markets entity for 10 years.

The CMA Board Ad Hoc Committee found that Khan failed to exercise effective oversight over Chase Bank’s management, leading to the preparation and publication of false financial statements in the Information Memorandum that was issued to investors.

The investigation uncovered serious governance lapses, including a particularly egregious conflict of interest.

Khan paid himself a Sh1 billion bonus in a lump sum, contrary to board resolutions that stipulated the payment should be spread over five years.

Part of this bonus was used to purchase Chase Bank shares for directors who sat on the committee that approved his compensation .

Makarios Agumbi, who served as General Manager Finance, received a Sh3.5 million fine and a five-year disqualification.

The committee found that Agumbi facilitated the preparation of false and misleading financial statements published in the Information Memorandum and unprocedurally paid bonuses contrary to board resolutions .

James Mwaura, the former General Manager Corporate Assets, was fined Sh2.5 million with a two-year disqualification.

Mwaura facilitated the preparation of false and misleading 2014 financial statements that contained misclassification and misrepresentation regarding non-disclosure of related party loans and advances .

The enforcement action stems from Chase Bank’s listing of a Sh4.8 billion medium-term note on the Nairobi Securities Exchange on June 22, 2015, the first tranche of what was intended to be a Sh10 billion fundraising exercise.

Less than 10 months later, on April 7, 2016, the Central Bank of Kenya appointed the Kenya Deposit Insurance Corporation as receiver for Chase Bank for 12 months following liquidity difficulties .

A CMA investigation revealed that cash and balances at the Central Bank of Kenya were overstated in the published Information Memorandum by Sh2.15 billion, which inaccurately enhanced the bank’s liquidity position and materially influenced investors’ decisions to subscribe to the medium-term note .

Chase Bank collapsed after depositors withdrew Sh8 billion in one day following reports that auditors had discovered problems with its accounting.

The failure locked up Sh95 billion belonging to depositors , making it one of Kenya’s most significant banking failures alongside Imperial Bank and Dubai Bank.

The three executives initially challenged the CMA’s enforcement proceedings by filing a case at the Capital Markets Tribunal.

However, the Tribunal ruled on February 2, 2024, ordering the trio to appear before the Ad Hoc Committee to conclude its administrative proceedings .

Following administrative hearings concluded in November 2025, the Ad Hoc Committee determined that Khan, Agumbi and Mwaura breached capital markets regulations regarding the use of funds raised during the 2015 medium-term note issuance.

Beyond the three senior managers, the CMA also fined other board members and directors.

Anthony Gross, chair of the audit and risk committee, and committee members Laurent Demey, Muthoni Kuria and Rafiq Sharrif received fines, while another director, Richard Carter, was fined Sh1 million. Audit firm Deloitte and Touche was fined Sh10 million .

All three penalized executives have been directed to attend corporate governance training before they can be considered for appointment as board members or key personnel in Kenya’s capital markets.

In 2018, Mauritian lender SBM Bank carved out 75 percent of certain assets and liabilities from Chase Bank, including deposits, staff and branches, merging them with its Kenyan subsidiary.

The remaining assets and liabilities were transferred to the Kenya Deposit Insurance Corporation for liquidation, marking the end of a bank that once positioned itself as a dynamic financial services provider targeting youth, women and investment groups.

The case underscores the importance of robust governance and transparency in Kenya’s capital markets, particularly for institutions seeking to raise funds from public investors.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 18 — The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has dismissed reports claiming it is compelling mobile network operators to collect biometric data under the country’s newly revised SIM card registration regulations.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the regulator termed the concerns “unfounded,” emphasizing that it has not directed operators to collect fingerprints, retinal scans, DNA, or any other highly sensitive biological identifiers.

“For the avoidance of doubt, CA has NOT issued any directives for the collection of biometric data by our licensees,” the statement read in part.

“The new SIM Card Regulations do not contain any provision requiring the collection of biometric data.”

The CA clarified that the updated rules—published in May 2025— seek to shield Kenyans from SIM-related fraud, identity theft, SIM-box crime, and other forms of digital criminality.

The statement follows rising public concerns, with critics and privacy advocates arguing that the regulations overreach by defining “biometric data” to include “blood typing, fingerprinting, DNA analysis, earlobe geometry, retinal scanning, and voice recognition.”

Security and confidentiality

However, CA maintains that although the regulations define biometric data broadly, they do not mandate operators to collect all or any of these markers from subscribers.

According to the regulator, the new rules instead impose stringent security and confidentiality standards on telecom operators, ensuring handling of subscriber information in line with the Data Protection Act and the Kenya Information and Communications Act.

CA further clarified that operators may only suspend SIM cards if a subscriber provides false information or repeatedly fails to complete registration.

Even then, no subscriber may be disconnected without prior notice and the use of “clear, fair, and transparent procedures.”

The Authority underscored that the overarching goal of the revised regulations is to “strengthen the integrity of telecommunications services, ensuring that every line belongs to a verified individual, thereby enhancing trust in Kenya’s digital space,” while supporting safer access to e-government and mobile money services.

A fierce tender war over services of meeting and assisting clients leaving and arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is threatening to expose the facility to security breaches and downgrading of its standards.

A petition filed before the High Court and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has exposed a battle to control a lucrative tender service of welcoming guests and offering protocol duties to high-end delegations, including top diplomats, foreign military officials and other high-profile guests of the State.

In a petition filed at the High Court of Kenya at Milimani Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division, it is revealed how the Kenya Airports Authority and its leadership have gone against court orders to award companies that did not qualify for the services to welcome and assist guests at JKIA.

So vicious have been the tender wars that the management of the facility recently had to grapple with incidents of security concern following a lack of professionalism in handling guests arriving and leaving the airport. The first was a revelation last month: how the facility has quickly become a transit point for the global drugs trade.

In the petition by Fredrick Mulaa against Kenya Airports Authority and its acting Managing Director, Dr Mohammed Gedi, Tradewinds Aviation Services Limited and Umbato Safaris Limited, the contravention of the law to favour companies that do not qualify to offer meet and greet services at the airport is revealed.

The bid to have meet and greet services formally recognised by the Kenya Airports Authority was first initiated by Willis Protocol Concierge Services Limited, which asked the authority to tender the services so that they could be offered professionally, like in other airports globally.

Kenya Airports Authority in 2021 publicly advertised for service providers to offer the meet and assist service through tender KAA/OT/JKIA/MBD/00420200. Several companies expressed their interest in offering the services, including Willis Protocol Concierge Services Limited, which had floated the idea of professionalising the services; however, KAA selected Umbato Safaris Limited as one of the concessionaires. This entire tender was, however, nullified by the High Court in March 2021 in Nairobi Judicial Review No. E006 of 2021.

“In the year 2024, Kenya Airports Authority similarly sought service providers for the meet and assist services through tender KAA/RT/MBD/0207/2023-2024 and Tradewinds Aviation Services bid for the said service. On April 18, 2024, the Kenya Airports Authority disqualified the bidder at the technical evaluation stage. This decision was confirmed by the Public Procurement Administration Review Board and the High Court,” notes the petition.

Despite the nullification of the tender and disqualification of the Umbato and Tradewinds to offer the meet and assist services, Kenya Airports Authority still went ahead and entered into contracts, which are ongoing.

Despite a notice courtesy of a court petition, which was well received by Umbato and Tradewinds and EACC on the continuation of illegal and corrupt practices, the parties have ignored the same. According to the petitioner, Kenya Airports Authority and its acting managing director have violated the Constitution.

“Entering into the meet and assist contract with the third 3rd and 4th respondents when the tender in the case of the 4th Respondent had been nullified by the High Court, while in the case of the 3rd Respondent it had been unsuccessful in its bid to tender for the meet and assist service,” notes the petition.

The petitioner now wants the court to declare that Kenya Airports Authority and its leadership violated the law by entering into the meet and assist contract, knowing that the first tender was nullified by the High Court and that Umbato had been unsuccessful in its bid.

In a letter addressed to the Managing Director of Kenya Airports Authority and copied to EACC on October 16, 2025, by S and S Advocates, KAA is accused of favouring Umbato Safaris and Tradewinds Aviation Services Ltd despite a court decision declaring the two companies unfit to be issued with such contracts.

“It is therefore very clear that KAA not only entered into contracts with M/S Umbato Safaris and Tradewinds Aviation Services Ltd contrary to clear court orders which have never been reviewed or appealed, but the same is also illegal based on the fact that KAA is a parastatal and a public body which utilises public funds,” notes the letter.

The tender wars are said to have eroded security and protocol standards at the facility, hence permitting a haven for drug traffickers and other illegal by-passers to take advantage of the situation. Last month, four suspects were arraigned at the JKIA Law Courts on October 7, linked to a narcotics trafficking syndicate operating through the airport.

This follows a series of operations between October 5 and October 7, 2025, by the Multi-Agency Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU), arresting the four individuals implicated in the smuggling of cocaine destined for both local and international markets.

Co-operative Bank of Kenya has stepped deeper into Kenya’s fast-moving digital credit battleground with the launch of Kamilisha, a mobile overdraft facility that signals the lender’s intent to compete head-on with telcos and banks for the country’s most contested space: instant liquidity.

Kamilisha allows customers to overdraw up to Sh100,000 straight from their phones to cover everyday expenses like rent, electricity and business supplies. It is unsecured and available on demand, designed for a market where millions rely on short-term loans to plug cash-flow gaps. While the product looks simple, it enters a crowded and highly competitive field dominated by Safaricom’s Fuliza, Equity’s Boostika and several digital credit apps that have reshaped how Kenyans manage daily finances.

Co-op Bank has set a pricing model it believes will attract borrowers without drifting into predatory territory. Users pay a one-off access fee of 2 per cent, a daily charge of 0.2 per cent on the utilised amount and a small monthly credit insurance cost. A borrower taking Sh1,000 and settling it after a month would pay about Sh84, slightly below Fuliza’s cost and almost equal to the charge under Equity’s Boostika. That places Kamilisha in a strategic middle ground and positions the bank as a competitive alternative among regulated lenders.

The timing suggests Co-op Bank sees room for expansion despite an already saturated market. Fuliza alone disbursed more than Sh900 billion in 2024 and still commands over eight million active users. Equity’s Boostika is gaining traction, while NCBA continues to dominate mobile lending platforms such as M-Shwari and Fuliza, which together pushed more than a trillion shillings last year. Co-op Bank’s digital credit portfolio, including Flexi Plus and salary advances, already has a strong customer base and Kamilisha adds to its bid to control more of the digital wallet.

But the numbers behind the sector paint a story of both opportunity and escalating risk. By mid-2025, licensed digital lenders had issued more than 5.5 million loans worth nearly Sh77 billion, almost triple the volume recorded in 2023. The number of licensed digital lenders had climbed past 150 firms, a sign of intense competition. Yet this surge has come with worrying fundamentals. Default rates in digital lending hover around 40 per cent, with micro-loans under Sh1,000 recording default levels as high as 80 per cent. Many borrowers rely on these facilities to fund recurrent spending, a habit that deepens indebtedness and undermines repayment patterns.

This is the landscape into which Kamilisha launches, one under stricter oversight following the Central Bank’s 2022 regulations that brought discipline to what was once an unchecked digital lending space. Licensed providers must now disclose full charges, protect user data and follow ethical collection standards. These rules, backed by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and the Competition Authority, have curbed some of the more aggressive practices that alarmed regulators and consumers. But even tight regulation cannot fully contain the pressures of a high-cost borrowing culture fuelled by irregular incomes and growing reliance on overdraft facilities.

Co-op Bank’s edge is the trust and transparency expected of a regulated banking product. Kamilisha uses customer account behaviour to set limits and manage risk, mirroring fintech speed while keeping within traditional compliance frameworks. It offers quick relief for customers short on cash, but like all overdrafts, the cost compounds quickly for those who fail to repay promptly. For the bank, the real test will be whether it can scale the product while keeping defaults under control in a market already grappling with runaway credit habits.

Kamilisha’s launch is a sign of where Kenya’s financial sector is heading. Banks are borrowing from the fintech playbook, regulators are tightening their grip and consumers are demanding speed without losing protection. The success of Co-op Bank’s new overdraft will depend on how well it navigates this balance between access, affordability and risk in a credit environment that keeps evolving by the day.

Safaricom, Kenya’s dominant telecommunications provider, has reportedly blocked Telegram across its network as the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations began in late October.

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) ordered the restriction to prevent exam cheating through leaked papers circulating on the platform.

The block mirrors identical actions in 2023 and 2024, leaving millions of users without access and forcing widespread adoption of VPNs to circumvent the restrictions.

The KCSE exams, running through late November, determine university admission for secondary school students nationwide.

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) reported supervisors smuggling mobile phones and materials into exam centers, prompting the CA to order all major telecoms, including Safaricom, Airtel, and Jamii Telecommunications, to suspend Telegram during exam hours.

Technical analysis from the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) documented these blocks across multiple years.

In 2023 and 2024, restrictions targeted weekdays during exam sessions from 7 AM to 10 AM and 1 PM to 4 PM. Safaricom networks (AS33771 and AS37061) and Jambonet (AS12455) used IP-level blocking, TLS interference causing connection timeouts and resets, and DNS tampering to disable access to [telegram.org](http://telegram.org), [web.telegram.org](http://web.telegram.org), and app endpoints.

The blocks frequently exceeded their stated scope.

In 2024, Telegram Web remained inaccessible on Safaricom until November 29, affecting weekends and continuing days after exams ended.

Users reported sudden disruptions without warning.

Blogger Cyprian Nyakundi posted on X: “Safaricom has reportedly blocked access to Telegram Messenger in Kenya, leaving millions of users confused and disconnected from one of their main communication apps.”

Amerix, noted the persistence of restrictions after 2024 exams: “Kenya’s high school exams (KCSE) ended, but Safaricom continues to throttle Telegram. One day, their fall will come.” The platform serves businesses, journalists, and activists beyond student messaging.

The #KeepItOn coalition, including Access Now, sent a 2023 open letter to telecom CEOs and authorities arguing the blocks violate freedom of expression and access to information under Kenya’s Constitution (Article 35) and international human rights standards.

The letter documented disruptions beginning November 8, 2023, and noted Telegram’s importance for economic opportunity and social mobilization.

In November 2024, Access Now demanded immediate restoration, labeling the exam-hour blocks an “ongoing disruption.” The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) issued a statement condemning the shutdown as a violation of human rights and global principles against internet restrictions.

Telegram faced unrelated blocks during anti-government protests in June 2025, marking the anniversary of demonstrations against the Finance Bill 2024. Multiple ISPs including Safaricom restricted the app to limit live coverage and coordination.

Network data confirmed throttling and complete inaccessibility. The CA directed media outlets to cease protest broadcasts. Law Society of Kenya president Faith Odhiambo called it an “affront to fundamental rights,” citing a court order prohibiting internet shutdowns during protests.

Safaricom has not commented publicly on the 2025 restrictions.

Past telecom statements deferred to CA directives. The CA maintains such measures protect exam integrity. Critics argue they establish precedent for broader censorship ahead of 2027 elections.

X user @SallyKendi posted in 2024: “If you guys can block Telegram because of corruption at KNEC who knows what these institutions will do in 2027?”

Users are bypassing restrictions through VPNs or switching to Airtel or Starlink. Internet penetration in Kenya exceeds 80 percent, making Telegram essential infrastructure for daily communication.

The blocks continue as exams proceed, with potential for expansion beyond current scope.

A catastrophic system failure at Safaricom has triggered mass hysteria across Kenya, with thousands of panicked customers staging a digital bank run after their life savings mysteriously disappeared from M-Shwari accounts for three terrifying days.

The nightmare began Thursday evening, October 30, when the entire M-Shwari platform collapsed without warning, instantly locking millions of Kenyans out of their money.

Frantic users watched helplessly as their account balances vanished into thin air, error messages replaced their savings, and Kenya’s most trusted mobile banking service transformed into a financial house of horrors.

For 72 excruciating hours, desperate customers were cut off from their own money. No withdrawals. No deposits. No loans. No answers. Just silence from Safaricom as panic spread like wildfire through a nation where mobile money has become oxygen for economic survival.

The human cost was immediate and brutal. Commuters were stranded without fare. Emergency medical bills went unpaid.

Families couldn’t buy food. And all the while, social media exploded with terrified speculation that their money had been stolen, hacked, or simply evaporated.

“I’m I the only one experiencing M-Shwari crisis, ama tuko wengi?” Shen Ken pleaded on X, posting screenshots that captured the horror millions were experiencing. Lameck Kemosi narrowly escaped being thrown off a matatu when M-Shwari failed him at the worst possible moment. “Kidogo nitupwe nje ya gari juu yenu leo,” he raged. “You didn’t even issue a notice. You are becoming unreliable!”

The rage was justified. Safaricom, the telecommunications colossus that controls Kenya’s digital lifeline, had allowed its cornerstone product to collapse without so much as a warning text message.

Millions were left in the dark, quite literally unable to see if their savings still existed.

When Safaricom finally broke its silence, the response was clinical and maddeningly vague: “The M-Shwari service is currently unavailable. We are working earnestly to resolve this technical issue.” No explanation of what went wrong. No timeline for restoration. No acknowledgment of the chaos engulfing the nation.

By Saturday, Safaricom declared victory, announcing the system had been “resolved.” Customer service representatives flooded social media with robotic reassurances that funds were “safe” and the crisis was merely an “access issue.” But the damage was done.

The moment services flickered back to life, a stampede began.

Users who had spent three days fearing their money was gone forever weren’t waiting around for the next catastrophe.

They withdrew everything, draining their M-Shwari accounts in a mass exodus that speaks volumes about shattered trust.

This disaster comes on the heels of a string of digital banking horror stories that have left Kenyans wondering if their money is safe anywhere.

Earlier this year, KCB M-Pesa users were blindsided by faulty reversals.

In September, a woman claimed KSh 55,000 vanished from her M-Shwari account, and instead of getting her money back, she reportedly received threats from Safaricom.

Industry experts are sounding the alarm. Kenya has bet everything on mobile money, with over 80 percent of adults dependent on platforms like M-Pesa and M-Shwari for survival. When these systems fail, the entire economy seizes up within hours. When they fail without warning or explanation, trust evaporates overnight.

Safaricom now faces a reckoning.

The company’s stranglehold on Kenya’s mobile money market has made it too big to fail, but this week proved it’s also too fragile to trust. Customers are demanding answers: What caused the meltdown? How many people were affected? What safeguards exist to prevent the next disaster? And why should anyone believe their promises when the entire system can collapse without warning?

The company has pledged to reconcile pending transactions, but promises ring hollow when millions have just witnessed their digital fortress turn into quicksand.

For a nation that has staked its economic future on mobile banking, the M-Shwari catastrophe is a brutal wake-up call.

The convenience that revolutionized Kenya’s economy can vanish in an instant, and when it does, Safaricom’s assurances that “your money is safe” sound less like comfort and more like a prayer.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

For many Kenyan SMEs, sponsorships can feel out of reach, seen as something only big brands do. But that’s changing. Even small-scale sponsorships can boost visibility, build trust and create real connections with your audience..

What’s Sponsorship All About?

At its simplest, sponsorship is an exchange: a business provides money, services or goods to an event, organisation or initiative in return for exposure and brand alignment. In Kenya, you’ll see this in sports, entertainment, education, innovation, and even grassroots development.

Real World Examples

From banks backing tech expos to food brands supporting youth events, the opportunities are wide and varied.

Take the 2025 Safari Sevens rugby tournament. According to Rugby 365, KCB Bank put KSh 4.5 million behind it, not just to splash their logo around, but to boost broadcast quality and engage more meaningfully with fans.

And that kind of investment isn’t limited to sport. Earlier this year, Safaricom supported the Young Scientists Kenya exhibition, a national STEM innovation week, with KSh 3 million in funding, aimed at nurturing tech talent and promoting scientific research among students.

Why It Works

• Brand Visibility: Sponsorship puts your name in front of fresh, relevant audiences — often for less than traditional ads.
• Credibility by Association: Being linked to trusted events builds instant brand trust and shows you back what matters.
• Active Engagement: It’s not just exposure — sponsorship invites people to interact with your brand in real ways.
• B2B Growth: Sponsoring the right event can lead to valuable business leads and long-term partnerships.

You Don’t Need Millions

Budget is a common worry, and yes, headline sponsorships can be expensive. But there are other routes:

• Go local: Community and regional events often offer deeper engagement and better ROI.
• Offer services, not just cash: Could you provide catering, marketing, equipment or space? Many organisers welcome in-kind deals.
• Be clear on the return: Ask about audience size, media reach, and how your brand will be featured.

Pick the Right Fit

Not every event is worth attaching your brand to. Do your homework, understand the audience, and get everything in writing. The goal is alignment, not just visibility.

The Takeaway

Sponsorships aren’t just a marketing extra, they’re a sure way to show up, stay relevant and stand out. Whether you’re backing a rugby tournament, a music festival or a national innovation week, it’s not about the size of your spend, it’s about the strength of the connection. Pick the right moment, partner with purpose, and you’ll see the value.

The Co-operative Bank of Kenya has stepped into the fiercely competitive digital credit arena with the launch of Kamilisha, a new overdraft facility designed to let customers overdraw their bank accounts by up to Sh100,000. The move is seen as a direct assault on Safaricom’s Fuliza and Equity Bank’s Boostika, two of Kenya’s dominant mobile lending platforms.

In a statement on Wednesday, the lender said the innovative product aims to cushion customers from financial shortfalls by allowing them to complete urgent transactions even when their balances run dry. The overdraft will cater to both individual and business customers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that often struggle with cash flow gaps.

“Kamilisha allows you to complete payments when you don’t have enough in your account. It bridges the shortfall between what you have and what you need to pay,” Co-operative Bank said in its announcement.

Unlike conventional loans, Kamilisha operates as a revolving digital overdraft, giving customers instant access to funds through the bank’s mobile and online platforms. The bank will determine borrowing limits based on account activity, regular deposits, salary inflows, and business turnover — a move intended to balance credit access with responsible lending.

Borrowers will have up to 30 days to clear the overdraft, after which any incoming deposits will automatically offset the outstanding balance. The product’s simplicity and automation are expected to attract a growing number of Kenyans who are increasingly relying on digital solutions for their daily financial needs.

The entry of Co-operative Bank into this space marks the latest escalation in Kenya’s fast-evolving fintech rivalry, where traditional lenders are racing to catch up with mobile platforms that have long dominated short-term lending. Fuliza, which is jointly operated by Safaricom, NCBA, and KCB, has been a market leader since its debut in 2019, processing billions in microloans each month.

Analysts say Co-operative Bank’s Kamilisha could reshape the digital credit landscape by leveraging its vast customer base of SACCO members, salaried workers, and business owners who already rely on the bank’s ecosystem for savings and trade finance.

With Kamilisha now live, the battle for Kenya’s digital borrower has officially intensified — and the Co-op Bank appears determined to prove that homegrown innovation can compete head-to-head with fintech giants.