KCB Q1 net earnings hit Sh17.8b to join rivals in defying tough times

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KCB Group chief executive Paul Russo. [File, Standard]

KCB Group, Kenya’s largest bank by asset size, posted a 10.73 per cent rise in first-quarter net profit to Sh17.8 billion.

The lender joins tier-one rivals in delivering robust earnings that have made the banking sector a rare bright spot in an otherwise battered economy.

KCB’s after-tax profit for the three months ended March 31, 2026, rose from Sh16 billion a year earlier, driven by growth in interest-earning assets, a drop in interest expense, and high non-funded income, KCB said in a statement on Wednesday.