Personal and household loans accounted for the largest share of bank credit in Kenya in 2025, representing 27.1 per cent of total gross loans, according to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
The CBK’s Bank Supervision Annual Report 2025 shows that lending to the sector stood at Sh1.18 trillion by December 2025, out of total gross bank loans worth Sh4.35 trillion.
The sector had 14.85 million loan accounts, equivalent to 94.2 per cent of all loan accounts in the banking industry.
Trade was the second-largest recipient of bank credit, accounting for Sh857.8 billion, or 19.7 per cent of total loans, followed by manufacturing at Sh585 billion (13.5 per cent) and real estate at Sh511.1 billion (11.8 per cent).
Overall, gross bank loans increased by 6.8 per cent to Sh4.35 trillion in 2025, driven by increased demand for credit across various economic sectors.
Meanwhile, Kenyan banks continued to expand their regional operations in 2025, targeting growing cross-border trade and seeking to strengthen customer relationships across East Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to the CBK report, the number of branches operated by Kenyan bank subsidiaries in East African Community (EAC) partner states and the DRC increased by 1 per cent, from 586 in December 2024 to 592 in December 2025.
The growth was primarily driven by new branches opened by KCB Group in Tanzania and Uganda.
Other lenders identified as having regional operations include Equity Group, Diamond Trust Bank, NCBA Group, I&M Group, Guaranty Trust Bank Kenya and Co-operative Bank.
