President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday presided over the opening of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Kisii Centre which is expected to offer a wide range of services and save Kenyans from the region money they would have otherwise used to travel to other regions to seek the same services..
The Centre will serve seven counties in the region including Kisii, Nyamira, Migori, Bomet, Homa Bay, and parts of Narok and Kericho, a population of over 7 million people contributing about 12 percent of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
CBK’s current network includes branches in Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret as well as centres in Nyeri, Nakuru, Meru, and now Kisii.
The Kisii Centre is established in partnership with the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) and is located at the Absa Bank facilities opposite the Kisii County Government offices.
It will offer a wide range of services, including currency services to the public and bank branches in the region, opportunities for investment in Government securities (Treasury bills and bonds), and general banking services to County Governments.
The Kisii Centre is, equipped with the latest IT and currency-handling technologies. In addition, the roof of the Centre is equipped with solar panels that generate more than adequate supply for the Centre, with the ability to feed back the excess power to the national grid.
The opening of the Kisii Centre is a milestone in the provision of CBK services to Kenyans and is expected to catalyze successful devolution and the development of the country.
“CBK appreciates the support of KBA, Absa Bank, the Kisii County Government, and other agencies,” CBK Governor Dr. Patrick Njoroge said in a statement.
