NAIROBI, Kenya — NCBA Group PLC has reported a strong financial performance for the first half of 2026, posting a profit after tax of KES 12.4 billion, representing a 12.2 percent increase from KES 11.0 billion recorded during the same period last year.
The regional banking group attributed the growth to higher business volumes, improved margins, increased customer activity, and sustained momentum in its digital banking business despite a challenging macroeconomic environment.
According to the group’s half-year financial results released on Wednesday, operating income rose by 15.1 percent to KES 40.7 billion, while profit before tax increased by 14.3 percent to KES 15.5 billion.
NCBA also announced an interim dividend of KES 3.75 per share, up from KES 2.50 paid during the corresponding period in 2025.
Group Managing Director John Gachora said the bank remained resilient despite inflationary pressures and cautious monetary policies across East Africa.
“The first half of 2026 was marked by a dynamic operating environment with pressure on inflation and a cautious policy approach by the regional central banks. Our focused execution of the UBUNTU strategy has enabled us to deliver resilient income growth driven by healthy business volumes, improved margins and continued customer activity,” Gachora said.
He noted that the Group maintained strong balance sheet growth through disciplined lending, with non-performing loans standing at 10.5 percent, below Kenya’s banking industry average of 15.3 percent. However, the bank increased provisions for credit losses from KES 3.2 billion to KES 5.2 billion to cushion against potential risks arising from the current economic environment.
Digital banking continued to be one of the group’s strongest growth drivers. Digital loan disbursements climbed by 26.9 percent to KES 819 billion, while mobile banking accounted for 94 percent of all transaction volumes.
The bank also invested KES 2.4 billion in technology infrastructure to accelerate artificial intelligence adoption, strengthen cybersecurity, and improve system reliability, achieving a system uptime of 99.68 percent.
Across its regional operations, subsidiaries in Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda delivered a combined profit of KES 1.6 billion, supported by a 25 percent increase in lending, 11 percent income growth and improved recoveries.
Meanwhile, the Group’s non-banking businesses—including investment banking, leasing, bancassurance and insurance—recorded a combined profit of KES 1.1 billion, marking a 40 percent year-on-year growth.
NCBA also strengthened its support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with its SME loan portfolio growing 12 percent to KES 44.7 billion.
The bank expanded its wealth management business to KES 101 billion in assets under management, serving more than 60,000 active wealth clients, while digital platforms such as CarDuka facilitated vehicle sales worth KES 1.94 billion.
Looking ahead, Gachora acknowledged continued uncertainty in the global economy but expressed confidence in the bank’s growth prospects.
“While the global macroeconomic environment signals uncertainty, the investor landscape remains vibrant with major regional expansion transactions expected to conclude in the second half of the year. We remain confident in the strength of our UBUNTU strategy and our ability to unlock new growth opportunities that will create lasting value for our customers, shareholders and the communities we serve,” he said.
The Group also confirmed that its proposed transaction with Nedbank continues to progress, with the tender offer attracting 121 percent oversubscription, while completion remains subject to regulatory approvals and other outstanding conditions.
NCBA currently operates more than 100 branches across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Côte d’Ivoire, serving over 60 million customers, making it one of Africa’s largest banking groups by customer numbers.
