Regional banking giant Equity has shattered performance records, posting the most profitable year in the history of Kenya’s banking industry. For the fiscal year ended December 2025, Equity Group’s net profit soared by 55 percent to KES75.5 billion, attributable to strong performance by its subsidiaries.

The Group's balance sheet increased by 9 percent closing the year at KES1.97 trillion underpinned by strong loan disbursement and uptick in customer deposits.

On the back of this performance, shareholders will be getting a dividend of Kes5.75 per share, up from Kes4.25, totaling to Kes21.7 billion; a 35.3 percent growth in dividends.

"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. Importantly, our regional subsidiaries now contribute about half of our banking profitability, demonstrating the value of our pan-African footprint and the resilience that comes from diversification," explained Equity Group CEO Dr. James Mwangi during an investor briefing on Wednesday.

Equity's net interest income increased by 17 percent to KES126.9billion, non‑funded income rose by 7 percent to Kes90.8 billion while total income increased by 12 percent to Kes217.7 billion. 

Equity Bank Kenya Limited (EBKL) recorded a 63 percent jump to KSh39.2 billion in net earnings, attributable to a 28 percent increase in net interest income and a 37 percent dip in interest expense. 

The lender's continued migration to self‑service channels, productivity gains, cost discipline supported by Group-wide shared services and digital infrastructure saw operational efficiency improved significantly, with the cost‑to‑income ratio falling to 51 percent from 58.2 percent.

Subsidiaries’ performance

Across the region, Equity subsidiaries accounted for about half of Group profitability as the bank evolves into a key engine for growth in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and DRC.

In the DRC, Equity's net profit surged by 58 percent to Kes24.7 billion, supported by 17 percent loan growth. Uganda subsidiary saw net profit jump by a jaw-dropping 500 percent to Kes3.6 billion, while Rwanda posted profit after tax of Kes5.4 billion, with total assets up 5 percent and the loan book expanding 22 percent. 

Equity Tanzania’s profit after tax increased by 125 percent to Kes2.7 billion, alongside a 75 percent increase in shareholders’ funds. Overall, subsidiaries contributed 51 percent of banking profit before tax and 48 percent of banking profit after tax.

During the year under focus, over 98 percent of customer transactions were conducted outside branches, with 88.4 percent processed through digital channels, reflecting continued demand for digital services with increased investment in customer‑centric digital infrastructure.

Equity insurance units’ performance

Further, Equity Insurance Group continued its strong expansion, driven by newly acquired life, general, and health underwriting licenses. 

Gross written premiums rose by 75 percent to Kes9.17 billion, delivering a gross profit growth of 36 percent to Kes2.0 billion, and a 150 percent rise in insurance revenue to Kes3.57 billion. 

Equity Life Assurance, which delivered a profit before tax of Kes1.77 billion now serves 6.9 million customers with 19.2 million policies issued since inception.

Equity General Insurance reported Kes1.79 billion in gross written premiums and Kes199 million in profit before tax in its first year of operations whilst Equity Health Insurance reported gross premium of Kes20 Million and Kes40 million in gross profit in its first 4 months of business.

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