KENYA · BANKING
KCB Group, a Nairobi-based bank with operations in several East African countries, says green loans reached 25.84% of its total loan portfolio in 2025. That is above the 25% target the bank had set for the year.
The bank disbursed an additional Ksh48.8 billion (Kenyan shillings, about US$376 million) in 2025 for projects such as renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture and clean transport. A news report on 11 November also gave a larger figure for KCB’s agricultural lending that we could not match to the bank’s own report, so it is reported, not confirmed.
Key Facts
- Green loans 25.84% of the loan portfolio in 2025, above the 25% target.
- 2025 disbursed Ksh48.8 billion (about US$376 million) in new green loans.
- 2024 disbursed Ksh53.2 billion (about US$410 million) in green financing.
- Risk screening About Ksh588 billion (about US$4.53 billion) of loans screened for environmental and social risk in 2025.
- Not confirmed A reported Ksh75.4 billion (about US$581 million) of agricultural lending in 2025.
What KCB Reported
KCB’s 2025 Group Sustainability Report says green loans rose to 25.84% of the total loan portfolio, passing the group’s initial target of 25% for 2025. The bank calls the result a structural shift in the make-up of its portfolio.
In 2025 KCB disbursed an additional Ksh48.8 billion across sectors such as renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture and clean transport. In 2024 it had disbursed Ksh53.2 billion, so the 2025 flow was lower even as the share of the loan book rose.
The Agricultural Lending Figure
A Kenyan news report published on 11 November 2026 said KCB raised agricultural lending by 50% to Ksh75.4 billion (about US$581 million) in 2025, from Ksh50.6 billion (about US$390 million) in 2024. KCB’s 2025 Group Sustainability Report, the document we checked, does not state those totals.
Those two figures imply a rise of about 49%, not exactly 50%. We therefore treat the agricultural total as reported, not confirmed, and rely on the green-lending data the bank has published.
A Larger Funding Plan Is Coming
KCB launched a Sustainability Bond Framework on 19 August 2026 that targets up to Ksh300 billion (about US$2.31 billion) over five years. The money is meant for green, blue and social projects, meaning those that help the environment, the oceans and communities.
A first tranche, or slice, of up to Ksh100 billion (about US$770 million) was planned for October, subject to regulatory approval. The framework is a ceiling for fundraising, not a completed bond sale.
In Plain English
Green loans are loans for projects that cut emissions or help people adapt to climate change, such as solar plants or drought-resistant farming. A loan portfolio, or loan book, is the total of all loans a bank has outstanding.
All US$ figures here use Ksh129.85 per US$1, the market rate on 11 November 2026. KCB is also covered in our reports on its falling foreign ownership and its half-year profit.
What It Means for You
For investors in East African banks, the share of green loans shows how far a lender has moved toward climate-linked business. A rising share can open access to sustainability-linked funding, though it also ties the bank’s results to those projects.
Travellers and residents in Kenya may notice the effect in farm and energy projects that bank money supports. Our Kenya coverage follows the sectors involved.
What Is Not Known
The size of KCB’s agricultural lending in 2025 is not confirmed by the bank’s sustainability report. How much of the Ksh48.8 billion in green loans went to farming is not stated in the figures we checked.
We have found no confirmation that the first bond tranche has been approved or priced. When the framework will reach its full size is also unclear.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Share of KCB Loans Are Green?
KCB says green loans were 25.84% of its total loan portfolio in 2025. That is above the group’s 25% target.
How Much Green Lending Did KCB Disburse in 2025?
KCB disbursed an additional Ksh48.8 billion (about US$376 million) in 2025. In 2024 it disbursed Ksh53.2 billion (about US$410 million).
Did KCB Raise Agricultural Lending by 50%?
A Kenyan news report said so, putting the 2025 total at Ksh75.4 billion (about US$581 million). The bank’s sustainability report does not state that figure, so it is reported, not confirmed.
Sources: KCB Group, 2025 Group Sustainability Report, published 2026; KCB Group, Sustainability Bond Framework announcement, 19 August 2026 (kcbgroup.com).
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