KCB Bank Kenya, RUBiS Energy Kenya and the Kenya Tourism Board have launched Kenya Beyond Sight to promote accessible tourism across Kenya’s Eastern and Coastal regions.

The partners said in a press release dated 17 Sep 2026 that six creators would document the campaign during a five-day excursion.

The initiative matters to Kenya because it brings financial services, fuel retail and destination marketing organisations together to address accessibility in tourism.

The partners said the campaign seeks to move destination storytelling “beyond a predominantly visual experience” towards a multi-sensory approach.

The participating creators are J-Supercharge, Denno Music, Sammy Brayo, Nancy Cosy, Chelah Richards and Delvin Obara.

The partners said the campaign encourages tourism businesses to improve accessibility for travellers with disabilities.

They presented accessibility as a social inclusion issue and an operational consideration for accommodation providers, attractions, transport operators and tour companies.

Rosalind Gichuru is KCB Group Director, Marketing & Communication.

Gichuru said the campaign reflects the bank’s brand purpose and challenges the tourism sector to widen participation.

She said the initiative promotes Kenya’s attractions and encourages a more inclusive way of experiencing the country.

KCB said it would also use the trip to demonstrate cashless payments through its debit and prepaid cards.

Gichuru said the cards would support creators’ payments for accommodation, transport, dining and entry into attraction sites.

She said the bank’s objective was “reducing unnecessary friction when making payments”.

RUBiS Energy Kenya will support the travelling team through its service-station network and cover fuel costs for the journey according to the release.

The company will also provide Enjoy Shop vouchers for snacks, refreshments and other essentials.

The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) said it supported itinerary planning and stakeholder coordination.

The release said KTB worked with the Kenya Wildlife Service to secure complimentary access to Malindi Marine National Park.

KTB also connected the group with Accessible Travel Kenya according to the release.

Accessible Travel Kenya designed the itinerary around the team’s accessibility needs and will provide transport to the Coast.

The group will receive complimentary access to Haller Park courtesy of Bamburi Cement according to the release.

KTB will support destination marketing, storytelling and media engagement throughout the journey.

KTB Chief Executive Officer June Chepkemei said the campaign seeks to make accessibility part of how Kenya markets and delivers tourism experiences.

“As the Kenya Tourism Board, we believe that our destination must be accessible, welcoming and enjoyable to all visitors,” Chepkemei said.

She said the campaign would promote Kenyan coast attractions and encourage the industry to think more deeply about accessibility.

The campaign comes as industry players pursue growth and respond to changing traveller expectations around inclusion according to the release.

The release cited the World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2026 Economic Impact Research for figures on the sector’s contribution.

The research put Kenya’s travel and tourism contribution in 2025 at about Ksh1.64 trillion (US$12.7 billion).

It said this represented 9.3 per cent of GDP and supported 1.8 million jobs.

The initiative brings corporate partners and tourism institutions together around accessible infrastructure, customer service and transport planning.

The planned card payments and fuel support also link digital banking and service-station networks to travel beyond major hubs.

The partners said creators would document “both the possibilities and the practical considerations” of travelling with disabilities through social channels and media storytelling.

According to the release, the next milestone is completing the five-day route and publishing trip content across platforms alongside KTB’s ongoing stakeholder engagement.

KCB Bank Kenya, RUBiS Energy Kenya and the Kenya Tourism Board have launched Kenya Beyond Sight to promote accessible travel across Eastern and Coastal Kenya.

The partners said six creators will document a five-day excursion and examine practical considerations for travellers with disabilities.

The organisers said the campaign aims to “challenge perceptions about disability and tourism” and encourage accessible approaches across accommodation, attractions, transport and tour operations.

The creators are J-Supercharge, Denno Music, Sammy Brayo, Nancy Cosy, Chelah Richards and Delvin Obara.

The campaign encourages Kenyans to experience destinations beyond predominantly visual storytelling.

Accessibility matters to Kenya’s tourism businesses because the sector contributes to national output and employment.

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2026 Economic Impact Research put Kenya’s 2025 tourism contribution at about Ksh1.64 trillion (US$12.7 billion).

The council said travel and tourism accounted for 9.3 per cent of national GDP and supported 1.8 million jobs.

Rosalind Gichuru is KCB Group Director for Marketing & Communication and spoke at the launch.

Gichuru said the campaign connects the bank’s brand purpose and shared value approach with customer experiences in travel and payments.

Gichuru said the initiative involves “encouraging a more inclusive way of experiencing Kenya” and reconsidering how the tourism sector can grow.

She said the campaign presents Kenya’s attractions alongside a more inclusive approach to travel.

Gichuru said KCB will also use the trip to demonstrate its digital payment services through Debit and Prepaid Cards.

She said the cards will support creators’ cashless transactions and reduce unnecessary friction when making payments.

RUBiS Energy Kenya will support the travelling team through its service-station network along the route.

The company will cover fuel costs and provide Enjoy Shop vouchers for snacks and refreshments, according to the statement.

The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) said it has arranged destination access and coordination for the trip.

KTB said it worked with the Kenya Wildlife Service to secure complimentary entry to Malindi Marine National Park.

The board also connected the team with Accessible Travel Kenya.

Accessible Travel Kenya designed the itinerary around the group’s accessibility needs and will provide transport to the Coast.

The partners said the team will receive complimentary access to Haller Park “courtesy of Bamburi Cement”.

KTB Chief Executive Officer June Chepkemei said the initiative encourages businesses to examine accessibility as part of visitor experience and destination competitiveness.

“That story must include every person, regardless of age or ability,” Chepkemei said.

Chepkemei said Kenya’s destinations must be accessible and welcoming to all visitors.

She said the campaign offers an opportunity to present attractions along the Kenyan coast and encourage closer industry attention to accessibility.

Chepkemei said the industry should consider how every visitor can explore destinations, participate and feel welcome.

For tourism and hospitality businesses, that focus could influence investment in infrastructure and service design.

Staff training could also become a consideration for attractions and accommodation providers seeking more varied domestic and regional visitor groups.

The partners said the creators will publish content through social channels and media storytelling throughout the journey.

KTB will support destination marketing and media engagement during the trip, with further updates expected as the itinerary progresses.

Payments platform PayKit has launched in Kenya, positioning its services around high-volume payments, reconciliation and multi-currency capabilities for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and digital platforms. The company said on April 22, 2026 in Nairobi that it processed about KES 30 million in transaction value during a pilot phase over the last 2.5 months and is targeting 50–60 million transactions by the end of the year.

The launch comes as Kenya’s digital payments market continues to deepen, driven largely by mobile money. PayKit cited data from the Communications Authority of Kenya showing mobile money penetration exceeds 98% of the adult population, with more than 51 million active accounts and annual transaction volumes above KES 8.6 trillion.

PayKit’s strategy is aimed at businesses that increasingly require tools to manage disbursements, settlement and back-office processes as transaction volumes rise and more firms trade across borders. The company argues that many payment providers still concentrate on consumer wallets or basic collections, leaving operational gaps for businesses dealing with complex financial flows.

The focus on MSMEs is significant in Kenya’s business landscape. PayKit referenced Kenya National Bureau of Statistics data indicating the country has about 7.4 million MSMEs—around 98% of all business entities—contributing about 30% to 40% of GDP and employing more than 14.9 million people.

“Digital payments in Kenya have largely solved access. The next challenge is scale and efficiency because businesses today need need to send, reconcile, settle and manage funds across multiple channels and currencies in real time, in addition to receiving payments,” said Beatrice Okeyo, PayKit’s CEO.

According to the press release, PayKit’s product set includes high-volume disbursements for supplier and payroll payments, faster settlement to support cash flow, and “intelligent reconciliation” to reduce manual matching of payments to transactions. The firm also said it offers multi-currency support, which it framed as increasingly important as Kenyan businesses expand across borders and as new payment corridors emerge.

PayKit said it is regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). It was founded in 2023 and has been developing and refining its technology since then, while setting up operations and securing approvals to operate in the country, according to the company.

In its growth plan, the firm said it aims to onboard about 15,000 merchants by year-end and reach 500,000 mobile app downloads, supported by a merchant portal and a mobile application.

“There is a clear need for more advanced payment infrastructure because many businesses in Kenya, and indeed most of Africa, continue to face challenges such as limited interoperability and high operational overheads. In many sectors, cash and manual processes still play a significant role, highlighting the gap between access to digital payments and the ability to use them efficiently at scale. This is the gap that PayKit sufficiently bridges,” Okeyo said.

Regionally, PayKit said it is evaluating expansion within 18 to 24 months, with Rwanda identified as a priority market. The company attributed its interest to what it described as an enabling regulatory environment that allows payment service providers to operate more seamlessly without needing to register afresh in the country.

For Kenya’s fintech and payments sector, PayKit’s entry adds to competition among payment service providers seeking SME volumes beyond basic collections, as businesses demand interoperability, automation and improved controls. The company’s ability to meet its transaction, merchant and adoption targets is likely to depend on integration depth with existing payment rails, pricing, and operational reliability at scale—areas that have increasingly differentiated providers in a crowded market.

PayKit said its next milestones include scaling transaction volumes through its portal and app, expanding its merchant base, and progressing regulatory and market evaluations for entry into other East African markets.