Four Kenyan banks have cemented their place among Africa’s top 25 lenders, with Co-operative Bank and NCBA Group joining KCB Group and Equity Group in a prestigious continental ranking that reflects Kenya’s rising influence in regional banking.

According to the latest World’s Top 1,000 Banks report by the Financial Times’ The Banker magazine, KCB Group led the continent in growth, expanding by 54.9 percent and climbing from 21st to 13th position in Africa.

It was followed by Co-op Bank with 39.2 percent growth, Equity at 38.4 percent, and NCBA at 32.2 percent.

Equity emerged as Kenya’s second-best ranked bank at number 15 in Africa, while Co-op Bank came in at 22 and NCBA settled at 25.

This marks the first time four Kenyan lenders have been listed among Africa’s top 25, outpacing traditional banking giants from West Africa.

Globally, KCB ranked 572nd among the top 1,000 banks, followed closely by Equity at 590.

Co-op Bank appeared at position 864, with NCBA making the list at 924. These positions were determined based on tier 1 capital, profitability, operational efficiency, asset quality, liquidity, and risk-adjusted returns.

In terms of efficient use of assets, Co-op Bank stood out, securing fifth place globally with a return on assets of 3.43 percent.

The rise of Kenyan banks in the ranking highlights the strong returns from their regional expansion strategies and improving balance sheets.

“The Kenyan lenders in the list have regional subsidiaries whose contributions to their performance have been growing by the year,” the publication stated.

Notably, KCB and Equity now rank higher than Togo’s Ecobank Transnational, which operates in 33 countries with a capital base of Sh3.7 trillion.

They also surpassed Nigeria’s top lenders, including Access Bank, Guaranty Bank, and United Bank for Africa, which have traditionally boasted larger balance sheets.

The publication noted a decline in ranking for several Nigerian institutions. “Meanwhile, several Nigerian banks have lost ground in the regional top 25. Zenith Bank, with $2bn in Tier 1 capital, falls two places to 14th position, while Access Bank slips from 14th to 18th. Similarly, United Bank for Africa drops four places to 20th in the current table,” it said.

The performance of the four Kenyan banks reflects a strong wave of growth and resilience, with their upward movement in the continental and global rankings signalling increased investor confidence and the growing maturity of Kenya’s financial sector.