Nairobi, 7th February 2019 – Over the years, banks in Kenya have been making substantial effort in terms of management time, resources and investment in systems and processes to protect customers and the broader financial system. As signatories to the “Code of Ethics for Business in Kenya” we are committed to working with the Government and other players in the fight against corruption. We have continued to cooperate with regulators and other authorities in an effort to eradicate all forms of corruption or money laundering that may be perpetrated using the banking system.
In response to the ongoing investigations on bank transactions revolving on the National Youth Service (NYS), the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) would like to reassure the public as follows:
- – Because of the critical role banks play in an economy, the banking industry is the most regulated and as such banks must comply with numerous laws and industry regulations. These requirements include the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Risk Management and Prudential Guidelines, and Kenya’s Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act (POCAMLA), 2009. Under these legal requirements, banks have and continue to undertake their due diligence processes seriously and report suspicious transactions to the Financial Reporting Center as required.
- – While investigations of transactions undertaken by the NYS are in progress, as KBA, we are pleased by the magnitude of effort with which our member banks are treating this exercise, recognising the industry implications, and we look forward to a positive outcome.
- – As the umbrella body of the banking industry, KBA will continue to collaborate with the CBK, other industry regulators, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations on efforts aimed at facilitating a secure, robust and professional financial services industry.
We call on bank customers and all banking professionals to support this industry commitment as we seek to serve the banking public in a secure manner, adhering to regulatory guidelines.
About the Kenya Bankers Association:
KBA (www.kba.co.ke) was founded on 16th July 1962. Today, KBA is the financial sector’s leading advocacy group and banking industry umbrella body that represents total assets in excess of USD 40 billion. KBA has evolved and broadened its function to include advocacy on behalf of the banking industry, and championing financial sector development through strategic projects such as the launch of the industry’s first P2P digital payments platform PesaLink. In line with the Government’s policy on public-private partnerships, KBA and Central Bank of Kenya have implemented key projects such as modernization of the National Payments System through the Automated Clearing House, implementing the Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS), and the Kenya Credit Information Sharing Initiative. The KBA members are comprised of commercial banks and deposit taking microfinance banks. For more information, visit www.kba.co.ke Media Contact: KBA Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Nuru Mugambi Email: nmugambi@kba.co.ke
