Kenya’s eight largest banks controlled 69.7 per cent of the banking sector’s market share by the end of 2025, according to new data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
The figure represents a decline from the 75.6 per cent held by the large-bank group a year earlier. At the same time, medium-sized banks increased their combined market share from 16.7 per cent to 23.2 per cent.
The figures are contained in CBK’s 2025 Bank Supervision Annual Report, which uses a composite market-size index to rank commercial banks. The measure considers factors such as total assets, deposits, shareholders’ funds, deposit accounts and loan accounts.
KCB Bank Kenya remained the largest bank on the index, with a 17.3 per cent market share. Equity Bank followed with 11.8 per cent, while Co-operative Bank recorded 9.4 per cent.
NCBA ranked fourth with 7.9 per cent, followed by Absa Bank Kenya at 6.4 per cent, Stanbic Bank Kenya at 5.8 per cent and I&M Bank at 5.6 per cent. Standard Chartered was also part of the large-bank group in the previous year.
CBK reported that Kenya had 39 operating commercial banks at the end of 2025. The sector’s total net assets grew by 10.3 per cent to KSh8.35 trillion, up from KSh7.57 trillion in 2024.
The decline in the large banks’ combined share was partly linked to changes in CBK’s peer-group classification. Standard Chartered moved from the large category to the medium category during the year.
Despite the shift, the largest banks continued to hold a significant portion of Kenya’s banking business, while medium-sized lenders increased their presence in the sector.
The latest figures show that Kenya’s banking industry remains concentrated among major lenders, although the balance between large and medium-sized banks changed during 2025.