Equity Bank Tops List of Kenya's Most Valuable Brands

Equity Bank has been ranked as the most valuable brand in Kenya for the third year in a row.

In a report released by Brand Finance on Thursday, April 16, Equity Bank’s brand value rose by 4 percent in the 2025-2026 year to Ksh73.9 billion.

The global brand valuation consultancy firm attributed Equity Bank’s strong performance to its solid financial results.

Brand Finance also noted that the bank leverages its positioning as Africa’s leading digital-first financial institution, with the Equity Mobile application processing over 90 percent of all customer transactions.

“The banking brand’s noteworthy performance is anchored in its solid financial results, driven by strong growth in non-funded income, sustained cost discipline, and a growing asset base amounting to almost Ksh2 trillion,” read the report in part.

The Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) was ranked as the second most valuable brand in the country, climbing up 9 percent to Ksh9.7 billion.

KCB overtook Safaricom, which dropped to third place with its brand value declining by 4 percent to Ksh55.7 billion.

“Safaricom’s performance was impacted by regulatory scrutiny over its mobile money dominance and the delayed rollout of commercial 5G services, impacting the telecoms brand’s overall performance.

“In addition, the brand reported that operating losses in its entry into the Ethiopian market proved more capital-intensive than initially projected,” the report stated.

M-Pesa maintained the fourth place with its brand value growing by 10 percent to Ksh33.8 billion.

The Co-Operative Bank of Kenya retained its position as the fifth most valuable brand in the country, with its brand value growing by 4% to Ksh26.9 billion.

The growth of the bank’s value was supported by strong interest income, improved cost efficiencies, and steady asset expansion amounting to Ksh725 billion.

NCBA remained in sixth place with its value declining by 4 percent to Ksh19.7 billion, while Kenya Power and Lighting (KPLC) was ranked seventh with a brand value of Ksh16.7 billion.

Other brands in the top ten lists include Tusker (Ksh11.1 billion), I&M Bank (Ksh8.9 billion), and Diamond Trust Bank (Ksh6.2 billion).

This comes a month after Equity Group Holdings PLC announced a historic profit after tax of Ksh75.5 billion in the 2025 Financial Year.

The group’s profit after tax grew by 55 percent, up from Ksh48.8 billion posted in the 2024 financial year.

Equity Group Managing Director and CEO James Mwangi attributed the strong performance to the group’s strategic transformation, driven by diversified revenue streams, improved efficiency, and growing contributions from regional subsidiaries.

“The 2025 performance reflects the success of our deliberate transformation into a diversified, regional financial services group. We delivered strong profit growth by expanding and deepening our income streams, improving efficiency across the franchise, and strengthening the quality of our balance sheet,” said Mwangi.

Equity’s balance sheet expanded by 9% to KSh1.97 trillion, with customer deposits rising 4% to KSh1.46 trillion and net loans increasing by 8% to KSh882.5 billion.

The group closed the year with 22.4 million customer accounts, supported by a strong regional distribution and digital ecosystem.