First Annual Banking Sector Research Conference Set for Nairobi Next Week

Banking industry players and stakeholders will converge in Nairobi next week for the inaugural ‘KBA Banking Research Conference’.  Organized by the banking sector umbrella body Kenya Bankers Association (KBA), the two-day conference will see various researchers present working papers on studies that cut across banking in Kenya.

Themed ‘Fostering Objectivity in Banking and Financial Services,’ the conference will be officially opened by the Minister for Finance, Hon Robinson Njeru Githae; and the Central Bank of Kenya Governor, Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u. In attendance will be representatives from KBA member banks and other invited stakeholders, including representatives from the private and public sector.

The conference is one of the avenues that the recently founded KBA Centre for Research on Financial Markets and Policy will be using to inform the development of the banking sector.

While commenting on the conference, KBA Chief Executive Officer Mr. Habil Olaka said the conference is an indicator of KBA’s renewed commitment to closer engagement with stakeholders for the benefit of the industry as well as the banking public.

“Our goal is to set and shape the agenda towards a more vibrant and sustainable banking sector. Towards this end, we have collaborated with researchers from the Central Bank of Kenya, the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, Strathmore Business School, Kenyatta University, Egerton University, International Monetary Fund and the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA). Through rigorous and objective research, the KBA Centre for Research on Financial Markets and Policy hopes to come up with measures to address constraints to credit access and reduce the cost of credit in Kenya,” said Mr. Olaka.

Among the research topics to be presented at the conference are a study on agency banking; income diversification in the banking sector – beyond interest income; overreliance on collateral lending; and the role of capital requirements on competitiveness and stability of the banking sector.

About the KBA Centre for Research

The Centre for Research on Financial Markets and Policy was established by the Kenya Bankers Association in 2012 to offer an array of research, commentary, and dialogue regarding critical policy matters that impact on financial markets in Kenya.

The Center sponsors original research, provides thoughtful commentary, and hosts dialogues and conferences involving scholars and practitioners on key financial market issues. Through these activities, the Center acts as a platform for intellectual engagement and dialogue between financial market experts, the banking sector and the policy makers in Kenya. It therefore contributes to an informed discussion that influences critical financial market debates and policies.