Kenya's KCB Group 2014 pretax profits up 18 per cent to 23.79 billion

Kenya Commercial Bank Group said on Thursday its pretax profit for 2014 rose 18 percent to 23.79 billion shillings ($260.43 million), helped by a rise in interest income.

The bank, the largest by assets in the east African country, recorded a rise in net interest income to 35.95 billion shillings from 32.98 billion shillings, Joshua Oigara, the group CEO, told an investor briefing.

The bank, which also operates in Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan and Burundi, said customer deposits rose 23 percent to 377.27 billion shillings, while net loans and advances climbed 25 percent to 283.73 billion shillings.

Non-performing loans fell to 6.3 percent from 8.1 percent in 2013, the bank said.