Kenya’s banking giant, KCB Group Plc, has once again stamped its authority on the continental stage, bagging top honours at the 32nd Afreximbank Annual Meetings held in Abuja, Nigeria.
The lender was awarded the Afreximbank Financial Institutions Award 2025 in the over $500 million capital category, marking a back-to-back win after scooping the same title in 2024.
The award recognises KCB’s role in bridging Africa’s trade finance gap, enhancing regional economic integration, and pushing financial inclusion.
KCB was lauded for enabling local and cross-border trade through a range of tailored financial products and services that have helped businesses transact seamlessly across African borders.
Its efforts in risk mitigation for traders, especially SMEs, were also singled out as game-changing in expanding intra-African commerce.
“This win is for Kenya,” said KCB Group CEO Paul Russo. “We remain committed to enabling growth by financing trade and empowering enterprises across the continent.”
KCB’s latest accolade came during a glittering gala dinner attended by more than 400 business and political leaders from across Africa and the diaspora.
The award ceremony is part of Afreximbank’s vision of a connected and economically vibrant Global Africa.
Other big winners included Zimbabwe’s CBZ Bank (under $500m category), and Export Trading Group, which took home the Global Africa Business Leader Award for advancing food security.
TRACE, the Afro-diaspora media brand, won Diaspora Business of the Year.
The event also honoured outgoing Afreximbank President Prof. Benedict Oramah for over three decades of service.
KCB’s consecutive win reinforces Kenya’s rising profile in continental finance, just as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) promises new horizons for Pan-African banking.
