NIC bank group has reported 9.2% decline in pre-tax profit for the year 2017 to 5.6 billion shillings, down from the 6.2 billion achieved in 2016. NIC, which made a name for itself around lending to SME’s, especially around asset financing to facilitate growth and logistics, saw a reduction in interest income on loans and advances driven mostly by a tough economic operation environment due to the prevailing ellectioneering mood. Total assets grew by 22% year-on-year from KES 169.5 in 2016, to KES 206.2 billion as at end of 2017.