SBM Bank Kenya H1 Profit Surges 171%

SBM Bank Kenya reported a 171% year-on-year rise in pretax profit to 548 million shillings for the first half of 2026, driven by higher lending, stronger customer deposits and an improved asset quality profile. Net interest income reached 2.2 billion shillings, while non-funded income jumped 54% to 1.39 billion, helping total operating income grow about 35% as costs rose more slowly. Customer deposits grew 24% to 94 billion shillings and gross loans rose 18% to 54.1 billion, signaling broad-based balance-sheet growth. The bank’s gross non-performing loan ratio improved to 17.3% from 32.4% a year earlier, reflecting cleaner asset quality. Total assets climbed to 109.9 billion shillings, with equity at 11.1 billion and capital and liquidity comfortably above regulatory requirements, underscoring stronger resilience. CEO Bhartesh Shah attributed the results to disciplined risk management, ongoing technology investments—including the upgrade to Oracle FLEXCUBE 14.8—and a strategic shift toward high-quality, fee-based earnings and enhanced digital banking services.