In what is widely viewed as submission to the statutory requirement by the central bank of Kenya that all banks raise core capital to one billion shillings by the year 2012, southern credit bank and the equatorial commercial bank have signed a merger agreement that brings the two under the equatorial brand. Details of the deal, expected to be concluded within the next four weeks remain scanty. The two banks have until close of business, Wednesday to comply with statutory reporting requirements by publishing their statement of accounts for 2009.