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Kenyan Central Bank: CBDC Not a Priority ‘in the Short to Medium Term’
6.6.2023
The Kenyan central bank has said implementing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) may not be a priority for Kenya in the short to medium term. According to the central bank, Kenya’s “pain points in payments can potentially be solved by strengthening innovations around the existing payment...
Kenyan Central Bank Governor Says Stance on Crypto Not Driven by Personal Views
4.6.2023
Patrick Njoroge, the outgoing governor of the Kenyan central bank, recently said the bank’s policy on crypto assets is not driven by personal views but is founded on the “wealth of information that is in the central bank.” Njoroge said the Central Bank of Kenya will continue...
Report: Kenya to Start Levying Tax on Revenue Earned by Crypto Exchanges
29.4.2023
According to regulations published by the country’s treasury secretary, global crypto exchanges used by Kenya’s estimated 4 million users will start paying a 1.5% tax on revenues earned. Tax-Avoiding Digital Asset Platforms The Kenyan Treasury has said it will start levying taxes...
Kenyan Forex Crisis: Central Bank Orders Financial Institutions to Ration Dollars
6.3.2023
Growing shortages of foreign exchange on the interbank market have reportedly forced the Central Bank of Kenya to ask financial institutions to ration dollar purchases by Kenyan businesses. The shortages have forced Kenyan firms to seek greenbacks on alternative markets where the exchange rate...
Crypto Policy: Kenyan Senate Ready to Engage Central Bank
24.2.2023
The Kenyan Senate’s Information, Communication and Technology committee has said it is ready to engage the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and other stakeholders in shaping the country’s policy towards crypto assets and virtual asset service providers. According to the committee, such...
Report: Flutterwave CEO in Bid to Recover Millions Stuck in Kenya
14.2.2023
According to reports, the CEO and co-founder of the Nigerian fintech Flutterwave, Olugbenga Agboola, recently visited Kenya where he sought to convince the country’s monetary authorities to grant the firm access to funds that have been blocked since July 2022. Agboola claimed that his firm...
Report: Kenyan Lawmaker Proposes Introducing Crypto Income and Capital Gains Tax
23.11.2022
According to a capital markets amendment bill reportedly sponsored by Kenyan lawmaker Abraham Kirwa, cryptocurrency holders in the country will be obliged to pay taxes on gains. In addition, the bill (if passed into law) would require crypto holders to furnish Kenya’s Capital Markets...
Kenyan Central Bank Rejects Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Claims Country Lacks Forex to Import Oil
4.10.2022
The Central Bank of Kenya appeared to rebuke the country’s new deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, after it rejected the latter’s claims the East African nation lacks enough foreign exchange to import oil. According to the bank, all the foreign exchange used in private transactions...
Kenyan Central Bank Raises Key Rate by 75 Basis Points
2.10.2022
The monetary policy committee of the Kenyan central bank recently revealed it increased the central bank rate by 75 basis points from 7.5% to 8.25%. Justifying its decision to act, the committee cites growing inflationary pressures and increased global risks, as well as their likely impact on...
Kenyan Central Bank Says It’s ‘Craziness’ to Convert Country’s Reserves to Bitcoin
25.9.2022
The Kenyan central bank governor Patrick Njoroge has described as “craziness” the calls to convert Kenya’s reserves into bitcoin. He added that he would have to be out of his mind before agreeing to this. Njoroge argued that cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are not only volatile...
Fintech Unicorn Flutterwave Granted ‘Game Changing’ License by Nigerian Central Bank
3.9.2022
The Nigerian fintech Flutterwave has said the switching and processing license it recently received from the Central Bank of Nigeria allows it to “deliver an improved experience to our customers.” The new license is said to allow Flutterwave to “connect every single store...
Flutterwave Kenya License Controversy: Fintech Giant Reportedly Applied in 2019
11.8.2022
The Nigerian fintech unicorn, Flutterwave, reportedly said it submitted an application for a payment service provider license to the Central Bank of Kenya back in 2019. The fintech also said it has remained in constant contact with the central bank and is hopeful it will get the license....
Speculators and Crypto Traders Blamed for Naira’s Plunge, Kenyan Institutions Told to End Dealings With Nigerian Fintechs, CAR Token Sale off to Slow Start
4.8.2022
In this week’s Africa news highlights, the Nigerian central bank blames speculators for causing the local currency’s plunge to a new all-time low on the parallel market. In Kenya, the central bank has told financial institutions to cease having dealings with two Nigerian fintechs...
Kenya Central Bank Orders Financial Institutions to Stop Dealing With Two Nigerian Fintechs
1.8.2022
In a letter addressed to the CEOs of financial institutions, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has said financial institutions operating in the country must cease and desist from dealing with two Nigerian fintechs, Flutterwave and Chipper Cash. The letter reiterates the CBK governor Patrick Njoroge...
Report: IMF Warns Kenyan Central Bank Against Introducing a CBDC That Harms Fintechs and Banks
29.7.2022
The global lending institution, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has told the Kenyan central bank that its proposed digital shilling must “do no harm” to existing private sector digital money. The lender insisted the proposed central bank digital currency (CBDC) must “not...
Report: Kenyan and Nigerian Central Bankers Attack Cryptocurrencies but Endorse CBDCs
13.6.2022
Cryptocurrencies are very unstable for them to become a widely used method of payment, the Nigerian and Kenyan central bankers have reportedly said. In addition, the bankers claim that cryptocurrencies also pose a risk to financial stability. Narrowing the Financial Exclusion Gap The Nigerian...
Kenya Central Bank Governor: Low Smartphone Penetration Working Against Plan to Launch CBDC
2.4.2022
According to Patrick Njoroge, the governor of the Kenyan central bank, the significant number of non-smartphones that are in use in Kenya means launching a central bank digital currency (CBDC) now may be premature and could lead to many citizens being financially excluded. Central Bank Mulls...
Report: Kenya Central Bank Governor Reiterates His Opposition to Cryptocurrencies
25.3.2022
The Kenyan central bank governor has once again told Kenyans to be wary of the risks that are associated with cryptocurrency transactions and trading. The governor also warned financial institutions supporting cryptocurrency transactions that they risk losing their licenses. Crypto Trading...
Kenyan Central Bank Document Discusses Benefits and Risks Posed by CBDC — Public Asked to Comment
12.2.2022
Kenya’s central bank has acknowledged in a recently released document that a central bank digital currency could potentially benefit the country’s financial system. The bank, however, warned that rolling out a CBDC could also pose risks to the same. CBDC’s Impact on Financial...
Central Bank Governor Says Kenya’s Position on Cryptocurrencies Has Not Changed
30.1.2022
Kenya’s position on cryptocurrencies is still unchanged the governor of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), Patrick Njoroge has said. Njoroge latest remarks come as Kenya continues to cement its position as one of the countries on the African continent that has the highest adoption...