Sidian Bank has partnered with the Kenya Bankers Association Institute (KBAI) and the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) to strengthen the professional competencies of its staff in credit risk management.
The plan is part of the bank’s commitment to responsible lending, customer-centric banking, and sustainable portfolio growth, they said.
The collaboration will see Sidian Bank staff undertake training and certification under the Fundamentals of Credit Risk Management (FCRM) programme, a globally recognized qualification awarded by the Chartered Banker Institute (UK) and delivered in partnership with CISI.
The programme provides banking professionals with “practical knowledge in lending principles, credit assessment, portfolio monitoring, and ethical lending practices across sectors including personal lending, SME financing, corporate banking, and microfinance.”
The curriculum is designed to promote responsible lending by ensuring financial institutions extend credit in a manner that is prudent, ethical, sustainable, and aligned with a borrower’s repayment capacity.
The programme also equips staff with practical skills in borrower assessment, cash flow analysis, credit structuring, early warning indicators, and risk-based lending approaches.
The initiative aligns with Sidian Bank’s mission of “empowering entrepreneurs to create wealth through transformational financial solutions and reinforces the bank’s strategic focus on SME banking, business growth financing, and customer-centric service delivery.”
Through the partnership, the Bank plans to enrol more than 200 employees into the programme to deepen internal credit expertise, enhance value delivery to customers and position the bank as “one of the leading and most customer-centric Banks within the region.”
Speaking during the partnership announcement, John Okulo, Sidian Bank CEO, emphasized the importance of continuous professional development in strengthening lending quality and supporting sustainable business growth.
“To remain a leader in SME portfolio expansion, customer growth, innovation in banking services, and effective service delivery to our diverse client base, it is crucial that we continually strengthen our staff capabilities, particularly in credit risk management, which remains central to our core business of lending,” said Mr Okulo.
Bernice Onyango, heading the KBA Institute, highlighted the significance of the initiative in strengthening professional standards within the banking sector.
“KBA is proud to partner with Sidian Bank in empowering banking professionals with practical tools and techniques that foster responsible lending and improved customer outcomes,” Onyango said.
Kimacia Gitau, CISI East Africa Lead Representative, noted that professionalism and ethical conduct remain critical in maintaining trust and resilience within the financial services industry.
“Professionalism in lending is fundamental to fostering trust, integrity, and the highest ethical standards within banking. The Fundamentals of Credit Risk Management programme seeks to build highly competent professionals capable of making sound credit decisions while upholding the highest ethical standards in banking,” Gitau said.
