KCB Group has been recognised for a second consecutive year in the Financial Times Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2026 ranking, compiled in partnership with data firm Statista, the lender said in a statement.

The ranking assesses companies based on their compound annual growth rate between 2020 and 2023, according to KCB’s press release. The list, now in its fifth year since launching in 2021, tracks firms seen as contributing to job creation and competitiveness across African economies, the lender added.

The recognition comes as Kenyan banks face a tougher operating environment shaped by elevated interest rates in recent years, pressure on household and SME purchasing power, and intensified competition from mobile money and fintechs. For listed lenders, growth and profitability metrics are closely watched by investors on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) as they balance credit growth, asset quality and capital allocation.

KCB said it delivered improved profitability in its latest reported full-year performance. “In 2025, the Group posted a resilient result, with net profit rising by 11% to a record KShs. 68.4 billion, translating to a 22.5% return on equity,” the statement said. The group added that the performance “positioned the Group among the top-performing companies on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.”

On its balance sheet, KCB said it “maintained its leadership position by asset size,” reporting that total assets increased by 9.3% to KShs. 2.15 trillion.

The bank attributed its performance to its business mix and investments across the region. “The Group’s regional diversification strategy continues to strengthen resilience and drive performance across markets,” KCB said. It added that results reflected “the strength of the core banking business, sustained customer franchise growth, the benefits of regional diversification and continued investments in digital transformation and operational efficiency.”

For Kenya’s banking sector, KCB’s inclusion on the Financial Times-Statista list may reinforce the market’s focus on scale, cross-border earnings and technology-led cost discipline as key levers for growth. Analysts typically view regional diversification as a buffer against localised shocks, though it can also increase exposure to multiple regulatory regimes and currency volatility across East Africa.

Looking ahead, the extent to which KCB sustains growth rates comparable to the period assessed by the ranking (2020–2023) is likely to depend on credit demand, funding costs, asset quality trends and execution of its digital and efficiency programmes. Investors will also watch for updates on performance across its regional subsidiaries and the group’s ability to defend margins as competition for deposits and loans remains tight.

I&M Bank Limited has closed its first tranche under a Kenya shilling-denominated Medium-Term Note (MTN) Programme after the offer attracted applications worth KES 23,225,850,000 against a planned KES 10 billion, translating to a 232.26% subscription rate, the bank said on 18 May 2026 in Nairobi.

In response to demand, the bank said it exercised a KES 3 billion green-shoe option, bringing the total allotment for Tranche 1 to KES 13,000,000,000.

The note is structured as a fixed-rate instrument with a tenor of five years and six months, and is part of the lender’s long-term funding strategy. I&M said the proceeds are intended to support onward lending, strengthen capital adequacy through Tier II capital enhancement, and fund strategic business expansion.

The transaction adds to a growing pipeline of corporate debt issuance in Kenya’s capital markets as lenders and large corporates seek longer-dated funding to match balance-sheet needs and reduce reliance on shorter-term deposits. For investors, bank-issued notes typically provide an alternative to government securities, while exposing portfolios to credit risk linked to the issuer’s performance and sector conditions.

I&M Group Regional CEO Kihara Maina attributed the result to investor support for the group’s strategy and execution. “The strong response to this offer is a clear vote of confidence in I&M Bank’s long-term strategy, financial resilience and disciplined execution,” Maina said.

He added that the issuance also reflected broader market dynamics. “The success of this issuance is not only positive for I&M Bank, but also for Kenya’s capital markets. It signals growing investor confidence in corporate bonds as an important asset class and demonstrates the continued depth, resilience and maturity of Kenya’s capital markets,” Maina said.

According to the bank, successful applicants will receive confirmation of allotment via email, and the notes are expected to be credited to investors’ Central Depository & Settlement Corporation (CDSC) accounts on or about 19 May 2026.

The notes are expected to be listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) Main Fixed Income Securities Market Segment on 21 May 2026, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and completion of post-allotment processes, I&M said.

For Kenya’s debt capital markets, the oversubscription suggests demand for corporate fixed-income instruments remains strong, particularly for issuers with established track records and clear use-of-proceeds disclosures. If more banks and corporates successfully tap the market, it could deepen secondary-market liquidity at the NSE and broaden funding options for private sector growth.

I&M said the MTN programme is part of a broader effort to diversify its funding base and strengthen balance sheet resilience, and that the first tranche supports its longer-term strategic positioning in Kenya and the region.

Africa Logistics Properties Holdings Limited (ALPH) has named the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) and the MOBILIST programme as strategic cornerstone investors in its ALP Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust (ALP REIT), which listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

In a statement issued in Nairobi, ALPH said the UK government committed USD 24 million (KES 3.14 billion) to the listing through PIDG and MOBILIST, with PIDG committing USD 15 million (about KES 1.97 billion) and MOBILIST investing USD 9 million (about KES 1.18 billion). The company said the announcement was made during a bell-ringing ceremony marking the official listing.

ALPH said the ALP REIT was approved by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) and is the first industrial REIT in East Africa as well as the first USD-denominated security to list and trade on the NSE. The company said it raised USD 29.55 million (about KES 3.87 billion) through the REIT, while the total listing was valued at USD 39.95 million (about KES 5.23 billion). It added that the figure excludes USD 5 million (about KES 655 million) of PIDG’s overall commitment, which it said will be invested as the REIT scales.

The transaction adds a new listed product to Kenya’s capital markets at a time when regulators and market players have been seeking to broaden investment options beyond equities and government securities. ALPH said the anchor investments helped it attract additional investors, including local and regional institutional investors.

Raghav Gandhi, Chief Executive Officer of ALPH, linked the listing to broader capital markets development and industrial investment. “This milestone underscores Kenya’s growing capital markets maturity and the increasing attractiveness of industrial real estate as a sustainable investment class. The participation of PIDG and MOBILIST demonstrates strong international confidence in Kenya,” Gandhi said.

PIDG said it is investing through its project development solution, InfraCo. Claire Jarratt, PIDG Head of Investment Management for InfraCo, said PIDG had previously supported the use of REIT structures in Nairobi and is extending that approach to industrial property. “Having anchored the establishment of REITs for affordable housing in Nairobi, PIDG is familiar with the REIT structure, and we know that it works to mobilise vital new sources of capital for economic development,” Jarratt said.

Ross Ferguson, Programme Lead for MOBILIST within the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), said the approach aims to support new types of listed products. “In Kenya, creating listed products that domestic pension funds can invest in is essential to reducing their over-reliance on government debt and directing long-term capital to the businesses that drive growth,” Ferguson said.

NSE Chief Executive Officer Frank Mwiti said the listing brings a new asset class to the exchange. “The debut of the dollar-denominated Industrial I-REIT is a historic milestone for our market,” Mwiti said, adding that the product offers investors access to the industrial logistics sector.

ALPH said it has developed two industrial parks in Kenya since 2016: ALP North in Tatu City with 50,000 square metres and ALP West in Tilisi with 20,000 square metres. The company said the facilities include large-format warehouses and are built to IFC EDGE Advanced green building standards.

Looking ahead, ALPH said it is developing ALP West Kivu, a 10,500-square-metre project it expects to complete in Q3 2026. Market observers will watch how trading and investor participation evolves for the dollar-denominated REIT on the NSE, as well as whether the listing encourages additional real estate and infrastructure-linked products to come to Kenya’s public markets.