National Bank to absorb Access Bank Kenya after CBK, Treasury approvals
National Bank of Kenya branch in Nairobi.
The banking sector regulator has announced transfer of all assets and liabilities of Access Bank (Kenya) Plc to National Bank of Kenya Limited (NBK), in a move that brings an end to the former's five-year run as an independent lender in the Kenyan market.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) said the transaction had received the necessary regulatory approvals, with the regulator itself signing off on the deal on August 17, 2026. The Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning subsequently approved the transfer on September 21, 2026.
"The transfer will take effect upon completion of the transaction, in accordance with the terms of the Business and Assets Transfer Agreement between the two parties," CBK said.
The deal effectively reunites two institutions that were, until last year, under common ownership.
NBK, incorporated in 1968 as a wholly government-owned entity, was acquired by KCB Group in September 2019, before Nigeria's Access Bank PLC bought the entire issued share capital of NBK from KCB Group in May 2025.
Access Bank PLC's presence in Kenya dates back to February 2020, when it set up in the local market by acquiring Transnational Bank Plc (later rebranded as Access Bank Kenya).
Access Bank PLC, incorporated in February 1989, is among Nigeria's largest banking groups and a wholly owned subsidiary of Access Holdings PLC.
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