The Central Bank of Kenya has licensed an additional 32 Digital Credit Providers (DCPs) under Section 59(2) of the Central Bank of Kenya Act, taking the total number of licensed DCPs to 227 following the licensing of 42 DCPs announced in December 2025. CBK reported it has received more than 800 applications since March 2022 and has engaged applicants on their business models, consumer protection measures, and the fitness and propriety of proposed shareholders, directors, and management. Licensed DCPs primarily lend through digital channels including Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) codes, offering products such as education loans, development loans, short-term personal loans, asset-financing and business loans. As of February 2026, licensed DCPs had issued 7.5 million loans valued at KES 133.5 billion. CBK noted that other applicants are at different stages of the process, with many awaiting submission of required documentation, and urged them to submit outstanding items to complete reviews. The central bank also encouraged the public to report unregulated DCPs, citing concerns about predatory practices including high costs, unethical debt collection, and misuse of personal information.
Central Bank of Kenya 2026-04-14
Central Bank of Kenya licenses 32 additional digital credit providers, bringing total to 227
The Central Bank of Kenya has licensed 32 additional Digital Credit Providers under Section 59(2) of the Central Bank of Kenya Act, bringing the total to 227. Since March 2022, it has received over 800 applications and focused assessments on business models, consumer protection, and the fitness and propriety of shareholders, directors, and management. Licensed providers had issued 7.5 million loans worth KES 133.5 billion as of February 2026. The Central Bank also urged applicants to complete outstanding documentation and encouraged the public to report unregulated providers amid concerns over predatory practices and misuse of personal data.