Banks defy digital tide to court rural borrowers

From left: Shameer Patel, Mary Githinji, Rev. Erick Kalya, H.E. Isaiah Keter, Oliver Kirior and Stanley Gachoki cut a cake during the opening of the I&M Bank Kapsabet branch on September 4, 2025.

Kenya’s banks are expanding rural branches despite global closures, chasing micro, small and medium enterprise and farm lending in a shift from the digital‑only focus seen elsewhere.