The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has licensed an additional 29 Digital Credit Providers (DCPs), bringing the total number of licensed digital lenders in the country to 281.
The licensing has been undertaken pursuant to Section 59(2) of the Central Bank of Kenya Act and follows the licensing of 25 additional DCPs announced in July 2026.
CBK said it has received more than 900 applications for licensing since March 2022 and has been working with applicants to review their submissions.
The regulator said the assessment process has focused on business models, consumer protection and the fitness and propriety of proposed shareholders, directors and management.
According to CBK, the process is intended to ensure compliance with relevant laws while safeguarding the interests of digital credit customers.
Licensed DCPs provide loans predominantly through digital platforms, including Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) codes.
Their loan products include education loans, development loans, short-term personal loans, asset financing and business loans.
CBK said that as of August 2026, licensed DCPs had issued 9,596,509 loans valued at KES 165.1 billion, highlighting the growing role of digital lending in Kenya’s financial sector.
The regulator said details of the 29 newly licensed providers are available through its official channels.
Other applicants remain at different stages of the licensing process, with many awaiting submission of required documentation. CBK has urged the applicants to provide the outstanding documents promptly to facilitate completion of the review process.
The licensing and oversight of DCPs were introduced following concerns raised by members of the public over practices by unregulated digital lenders.
These concerns included high costs of credit, unethical debt collection practices and misuse of customers’ personal information.