The Central Bank of Kenya has announced extended operating hours for the Kenya Electronic Payment and Settlement System (KEPSS), the national real-time gross settlement (RTGS) system, effective 1 July 2025. KEPSS will operate from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., replacing the current 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. schedule, on all business days except public holidays and weekends. The change follows consultations with system participants and is positioned as part of the National Payments Strategy 2022–2025. The longer window is intended to enable earlier initiation and later completion of large-value and time-sensitive payments, offering greater processing flexibility for businesses, government institutions and financial institutions, and reducing end-of-day settlement risks; the central bank also links the move to supporting cross-time-zone transactions, financial inclusion and alignment with global payment system modernization efforts.
Central Bank of Kenya 2025-06-18
Central Bank of Kenya extends KEPSS RTGS operating hours to 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. from 1 July 2025
The Central Bank of Kenya will extend the Kenya Electronic Payment and Settlement System (KEPSS) hours from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. starting 1 July 2025. This change, part of the National Payments Strategy 2022–2025, aims to enhance processing flexibility, reduce settlement risks, and support cross-time-zone transactions. The extended hours align with global payment system modernization efforts and follow consultations with system participants.