Dubai Islamic Bank aims to open in Kenya this year

Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) plans to be operating in Kenya before the end of 2016, despite the Kenyan authorities’ moratorium on issuing new banking licences, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The largest Islamic bank in the United Arab Emirates will start operating at a time when Kenyan banks have come under closer scrutiny from the regulator because of increasing bad debts, prompting officials and analysts to conclude the sector is ripe for consolidation.

Three medium-sized and small banks have been taken over by the regulator since August last year, with the latest, Chase Bank Kenya, taken over earlier this month after a run on deposits.

LICENSE MORATORIUM

In November, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) placed a moratorium on the licensing of new commercial banks in an attempt to bring stability to an industry that has more than 40 banks.

But DIB had been in talks with the regulator before then, meaning a decision on its licence would not be affected by the moratorium, the sources said.

DIB is now awaiting the final go-ahead from CBK, said the sources, as it has already been granted outline approval for a commercial banking licence having planned to open in Kenya last year, only to find the process had taken longer than expected.

In a statement, the Central Bank said yesterday it was processing an application for a banking licence from DIB Bank Kenya, without elaborating.

A separate source at the Central Bank said DIB was one of a couple of banks expected to start operations in the country this year.

No one at DIB responded to a request for comment.

DIB has already recruited staff for its Kenyan operation, which will initially comprise three branches offering consumer, corporate and treasury services, the sources said.

Kenya will not be DIB’s first foray overseas. It holds stakes in banks in Pakistan, Sudan, Jordan, Bosnia and late last year raised its stake in Bank Panin Syariah, the Indonesian sharia-compliant lender, to 39.6 per cent, according to a presentation on the bank’s website.

It would become the third Islamic lender to operate in Kenya, where Muslims account for about 10 per cent of the population of some 44 million. Over the last few years, DIB has propelled itself to become one of the most recognized brands globally in the Islamic Financial services sector.

Business
Premium Ruto's food security hopes facing storm amid fake fertiliser scam
Business
Premium Nairobi business community plans protest as over 700 containers held at port
Real Estate
Premium Affordable housing: Will State's data-backed action now pay off?
Real Estate
Premium Building to the skies, but at what cost?