NCBA Group came into 2026 with a bold new strategy, a fresh purpose statement, and something to prove. Three months in, the numbers are speaking for themselves.
The group’s Q1 2026 results paint the picture of a bank that has grown intelligently; expanding revenue faster than costs, deepening its digital dominance, diversifying, and building out an ecosystem of financial services that stretches beyond traditional banking.
Group profit before tax came in at KES 7.4 billion, up 9% year-on-year. Operating income grew 15% to KES 20 billion; a figure driven by two powerful engines firing at once: Net Interest Income up 22% to KES 12.2 billion, and non-funded income up 6% to KES 7.8 billion.
The cost-to-income ratio dropped to 49.1% from 53.8% in Q1 2025. With its revenue growing at 15% while its costs grow at only 9%, the gap between the two lines is where value is created.
Total assets reached KES 741 billion, up 13%, with customer deposits at KES 544 billion and gross lending at KES 359 billion. The balance sheet is bigger, cleaner, and better diversified.
NCBA’s claim to digital lending leadership in Africa is remarkable. In Q1 2026, the group disbursed KES 391 billion digitally across its markets, up 27% from KES 307 billion a year earlier. In Kenya alone, Fuliza disbursed KES 354 billion, M-Shwari KES 23 billion, and the Loop B2C product grew from KES 0.8 billion to KES 1.4 billion.
The digital banking subsidiaries delivered a clean KES 2.3 billion in profit before tax increasing 50% year-on-year; and now contribute 31% of total group profit, up from 20.5% just two years ago. Additionally, 98% of all NCBA transactions now happen digitally, up from 97% in Q1 2025.
Digital account openings went from 694 in Q1 2025 to 13,320 in Q1 2026 a near 20x jump in a single year.
Wealth and Insurance
Assets under management grew 26% to KES 102 billion, with the number of wealth customers surpassing 60,000 up 41% from 43,429 a year ago. Brokerage revenue grew more than 200% year-on-year, rising from KES 30.5 million to KES 104.8 million.
On the insurance side, Bancassurance gross written premiums reached KES 3.7 billion, up 9%, while NCBA Insurance grew premiums to KES 1.3 billion, up 8%. The group’s insurance subsidiaries are embedded in customer relationships at scale.
The Infrastructure Behind It
This quarter, NCBA recorded a system uptime of 99.7%, up from 98.9% a year ago. Transaction success rate improved to 99.1%. Processing SLA hit 89.7%. These are the result of deliberate investment in decommissioning legacy systems, building AI-powered customer journeys, and hardening cybersecurity infrastructure.
The customer experience impact is measurable. Digital Channel Net Promoter Score rose to 62 from 59, and Branch NPS jumped to 97 from 90. When a bank delivers on reliability, customers notice.
The Strategy
NCBA’s 2026-2030 strategy rests on four pillars: fortifying the core, scaling high-growth segments, unlocking new frontiers, and building a future-ready organisation anchored in Ubuntu values. One quarter in, the scorecard is strong across all four.
Core banking customers grew from 434,000 to 517,000. The cost-to-income ratio is already tracking toward the full-year guidance of approximately 50%. Asset quality remains ahead of the industry; NCBA’s NPL ratio of 10.9% compares favourably to the Kenya industry average of 15.6%. And with a total capital adequacy ratio of 21.8% against a regulatory requirement of 14.5%, the group has both the strength and the headroom to keep investing.
The purpose that guides all of it is simply stated: Banking on Belief, Empowering Ambitions. If Q1 2026 is anything to go by, the belief is well-placed.
CEO & Co-Founder, Abojani Investment
Robert Ochieng is a visionary entrepreneur and the co-founder of Abojani Investment, a leading financial education platform in Kenya that has empowered over 20,000 Africans to embark on their investment journeys. As CEO, he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to financial literacy, successfully demystifying money and investments and making them accessible and relevant to individuals from all walks of life.
Running Thriving Investment Communities
Robert’s influence extends well beyond Abojani Investment’s core offerings. He has actively fostered a sense of community by running investment forums and groups with a vast following of over 300,000 Africans. These communities provide a safe space for individuals to exchange ideas, share experiences, and support each other on their investment journeys.
Vision for the Future
As co-founder of Abojani Investment, Robert envisions a financially empowered Africa. He strives to expand the reach of his financial education initiatives, enabling millions more to gain the knowledge and confidence needed to achieve their financial goals. His vision is to create a society where every individual has the tools and understanding to build lasting wealth and prosperity.
Professional Background
Robert Ochieng is a highly accomplished CEO at the helm of Abojani Investment, an investment and advisory firm in Kenya. He is a seasoned professional with over 14 years of experience in IT, Finance, and leadership.
His career includes key roles at prominent institutions such as Equity Bank, Gulf African Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) and Airtel.
Robert’s expertise has also been sought after by the National Treasury for consultancy on planning and budgeting systems, showcasing his exceptional knowledge and skills in the field. Passionate about driving meaningful conversations and collaborations between academia, industry, and the public sector, Robert actively engages in research projects focusing on digital transformation within the financial services sector. With his visionary leadership and strategic insights, Robert Ochieng continues to make a significant impact in the business world.
