Kenya Women Microfinance Bank, formerly Kenya Women Finance Trust or KWFT, is a deposit-taking microfinance bank in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

, the largest economy in the

East African Community The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation composed of seven countries in the Great Lakes region of East Africa: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Republic of Tanzania, the Republics of Kenya, Burun ...

Overview

KWFT is a medium-tier financial services provider in Kenya. , it was the largest deposit-taking microfinance bank in the country, with an asset base valued at about US$220 million (KES:21.75 billion). At that time, the microfinance bank had in excess of 600,000 deposit accounts and a loan book of approximately US$147 million (KSh:14.53 billion), and shareholders' equity valued at US$29.5 million (KShs:2.9 billion).

History

The company was established in 2008, as Kenya Women Finance Trust (KWFT), a 100% subsidiary Kenya Women's Holding (KWH). In 2010, the institution was authorized to accept customer deposits, thereby becoming a deposit-taking microfinance institution. It changed its name to Kenya Women Microfinance Bank and became regulated by the

Central Bank of Kenya The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) ( sw, Banki Kuu ya Kenya) is the monetary authority of Kenya. Its head office is located in Nairobi. CBK was founded by in 1966 after the dissolution of East African Currency Board (EACB). Dr. Patrick Ngugi Njoroge ...

(CBK). In order to comply with CBK regulations, KWH began to sell shareholding to the KWFT Board, staff, and foreign institutions. In July 2015 it sold 25% equity to 60,974 KWFT members, thereby reducing its own shareholding to the required 25% maximum.

Future plans

In 2016, print media reported that the lender had plans to expand to Rwanda and

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the ...

by the third quarter of 2017.

Ownership

The shares of stock of Kenya Women Microfinance Bank are held by Kenyan and foreign institutions and individuals, as depicted in the table below:

Branches

The microfinance bank has branches in rural and urban areas of Kenya.

References

External links

*
Grameen-Credit Agricole: Institutions Supported In Kenya - Kenya Women Microfinance Bank Limited

{{Banking in Kenya Microfinance companies of Africa Banks of Kenya Banks established in 2008 Companies based in Nairobi Kenyan companies established in 2008