By year-end 2007 the bank had a balance sheet of more than $2bn, the largest of any indigenous Kenyan bank. The bank grew its assets by 30% last year, while beefing up its Tier 1 capital by 10%.
Apart from its focus on the corporate and high-end retail market, KCB targeted the Kenyan mortgage market as well as small to medium-sized enterprises. The bank returned 25% on its equity, up from 23% in 2006, and its cost-to-income ratio fell marginally to 63%, from 64% in 2006.
KCB has also done well to slash its non-performing loan ratio. In 2006 non-performing loans made up almost one quarter of the balance sheet, but this figure was cut to 14% in 2007. KCB continues to consolidate its position as the largest regional bank in east Africa. It has 150 branches and claims one million customers across the region. The bank can also claim to have paid a consistent dividend to shareholders since 2003 and has increased its market capitalisation to Ks60bn in 2007 ($1.4bn) from Ks1.2bn in 2002.
