WED SEPT 23 2026-theGBJournal| The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has approved the transfer of Access Bank (Kenya) Plc’s business, assets and liabilities to National Bank of Kenya Limited, advancing a transaction that reshapes the ownership of one of the country’s established lenders.
The transfer follows CBK approval on August 17 and approval by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning on September 21, under the relevant provisions of the Banking Act.
The transaction will take effect upon completion in accordance with the Business and Assets Transfer Agreement between the parties, CBK said in a statement on Wednesday.
National Bank of Kenya was incorporated in 1968 as a wholly owned government entity. KCB Group acquired 100 per cent of the bank in September 2019 before Access Bank acquired the entire issued share capital of NBK from KCB in May 2025.
Access Bank entered the Kenyan market in February 2020 through the acquisition of 100 per cent of Transnational Bank Plc, which it renamed Access Bank (Kenya) Plc. Transnational Bank had begun operations in 1985.
The latest transfer brings together the Kenyan businesses under NBK following Access Bank’s ownership of both institutions.
CBK said the transaction would ensure continued stability and enhance the resilience of Kenya’s banking sector while promoting competition.
The deal forms part of Access Bank’s wider African expansion.
The Nigerian banking group operates subsidiaries across several African markets, as well as a UK subsidiary, representative offices in China, India and Lebanon, and a branch in the United Arab Emirates.
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