KENYA · BANKING
Key Facts
- —The country Kenya is East Africa’s largest economy, and its capital Nairobi is the region’s main financial hub, home to the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
- —What happened On Tuesday 20 October 2026, colleagues announced that Equity Group payments chief Eva Ngigi Sarwari had died at 45 in China.
- —The company Equity Group Holdings is a Nairobi-listed bank with operations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- —Her roles She joined Equity in January 2025 and became managing director of its digital finance arm, Finserve Africa, in April 2026.
- —Her background She spent four years at Visa as country manager for Kenya, South Sudan and Somalia.
- —Why it matters Payments link the group’s banks across borders, so the post matters to investors and to firms moving money in East Africa.
- —Still open The cause of death, the funeral arrangements and the name of her successor have not been published.
Eva Ngigi Sarwari, the Equity Group payments chief, died at 45 while on a business trip to China. Her colleagues announced her death on Tuesday 20 October 2026.
Business Daily, a Kenyan financial newspaper, paid tribute to the Equity Group payments chief on Sunday 25 October. Equity Group Holdings is a Nairobi-listed bank with operations in six countries.
What Colleagues Said
The announcement came from her colleagues, who called her death a sudden and profound shock. They said more information would be shared later and sent condolences to her family, friends and co-workers.
No cause of death has been made public. The reports also do not name the Chinese city she was visiting or give a date of death before the announcement.
Her Role at Equity Group
Ngigi Sarwari joined Equity Group in January 2025 as group director for payments and international banking. As Equity Group payments chief she was responsible for the payments strategy across the group’s African markets.
In April 2026 she also became managing director of Finserve Africa, the group’s digital financial services subsidiary. The role covered the strategy, commercial growth and daily operations of the unit.
A Career Built in Payments
She began her career in 2005 at Co-operative Bank of Kenya, where she helped customers move to electronic banking. She then worked at Stanbic Bank Kenya from 2010 and joined Standard Chartered in November 2012.
At Standard Chartered she rose to head of transaction banking for the commercial banking division in Kenya and East Africa. In 2020 she became a venture lead at SC Ventures, the bank’s start-up arm.
From Visa to Equity
In September 2020 she moved to Visa, the US card network, as senior director and country manager for Kenya, South Sudan and Somalia. She held that post until December 2024, when Equity hired her.
Her profile described an obsession with client value as the way to drive financial inclusion, meaning getting more people into formal banking. According to the Kenya Times, she held a business degree from Moi University and an MBA from the University of Nairobi.
Why Payments Matter to Equity
Equity Group began as a small building society and grew into a bank for millions of ordinary savers and small businesses. The Equity Group payments chief handled strategy across its six markets, from Kenya to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The group is led by managing director and chief executive James Mwangi. Readers can find the full background in the Rio Times profile of Equity Group Holdings.
What It Means for US Readers
Investors who hold Equity Group through Nairobi shares or Africa funds should watch for an acting head of payments. A smooth handover would show that the group’s digital strategy does not depend on one executive.
US companies that sell payment or card services in East Africa deal with this unit, so the appointment shapes who they talk to. Recent group news is in Rio Times reports on Equity Bank Uganda’s green hotel financing and Equity’s DR Congo insurance plan.
What Is Not Known
Equity Group has not said who will succeed its payments chief at Finserve Africa in the meantime, or when a permanent appointment will follow. The cause of death and the funeral arrangements have also not been published.
It is open whether the loss will change the group’s payments plans or its targets. No effect on the Equity share price has been reported.
More: Kenya news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Eva Ngigi Sarwari?
She was the Equity Group payments chief, formally group director for payments and international banking and managing director of its subsidiary Finserve Africa. She died at 45 on a business trip to China.
When was her death announced?
Her colleagues announced it on Tuesday 20 October 2026. Business Daily followed with a tribute on Sunday 25 October.
What is Finserve Africa?
Finserve Africa is Equity Group’s digital financial services subsidiary. She became its managing director in April 2026.
What did she do before joining Equity Group?
She was senior director and country manager for Kenya, South Sudan and Somalia at Visa from September 2020 to December 2024. Earlier she worked at Standard Chartered, Stanbic Bank Kenya and Co-operative Bank of Kenya.
Who leads Equity Group?
James Mwangi is the group’s managing director and chief executive. Equity is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange under the ticker EQTY.
Who will replace the Equity Group payments chief?
No successor has been named so far. Her colleagues said that more information will follow.
Sources: Business Daily, The payments innovator Kenya has lost in Equity Group, 25 October 2026; Techweez, Eva Ngigi Sarwari dies at 45, 20 October 2026; The Kenya Times, Who was Eva Ngigi-Sarwari, 21 October 2026; Innovation Village, Eva Ngigi Sarwari dies at 45, October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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