Our Story

Kenswitch Payments Company, often referred to simply as Kenswitch, is a prominent Kenyan financial services firm specializing in shared payment infrastructure and interoperability within the banking and fintech sectors.

OUR HISTORY

Founded by Loita Group, a pan African merchant banking group comprised of experienced bankers and technology specialists, in 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya, the company was licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya's (CBK) National Payments System (NPS) modernization and reform initiative. This effort was part of a broader push starting in the late 1990s to overhaul Kenya's fragmented payment systems, reduce operational redundancies for smaller financial institutions, and promote financial inclusion by enabling cost-effective shared access to automated teller machines (ATMs) and other transaction channels. The project was initially conceptualized in 1998, with development beginning in 2001, and the switch officially going live around mid-2004.

In its formative years, Kenswitch focused primarily on operating a central switch for ATM networks, allowing customers of participating banks to withdraw cash and perform basic transactions at shared ATMs without the need for each institution to build extensive proprietary infrastructure. By early 2006, the company had connected 18 banks to its network, owning a portion of the ATMs while managing the core switching technology that processed interbank transactions. This expansion was a key component of the Kenyan government's National Payment Project.

The company's growth accelerated in the following decade, aligning with regulatory advancements such as the National Payments System Act of 2011, which formalized its operations under CBK oversight and emphasized secure, efficient payment processing. Kenswitch expanded its partnerships resulting in introducing participants such as China’s Union. In 2015, KS introduced and rolled out chip-based debit cards, incorporating EMV (Europay, Mastercard, and Visa) technology to enhance security and reduce card fraud in its network environment. The following year, 2016, marked the launch of the Domestic Interbank Transfer Service (DITS), a real-time money transfer platform allowing seamless account-to-account transfers across member banks, further streamlining interbank operations and supporting Kenya's shift toward digital payments.

By the early 2020s, Kenswitch had solidified its position as a key enabler in Kenya's payments landscape, emphasizing financial inclusion through collaborations with the CBK and over 30 institutions, including banks, microfinance organizations, insurance companies, and fintech firms. In 2020, it integrated with major players like Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), linking to the national payments system and expanding access for KCB customers.

Kenswitch, a pivotal force in Kenya's financial technology landscape, has significantly expanded its operational scope and reach as of 2025. The company is no longer solely an ATM switching service but has transformed into a comprehensive payment ecosystem that serves a massive user base of over 10 million people across the country.

Our Brand Journey - Legacy in motion, and a passport to a new world.

In 2002, Aladwa's first ATM card marked a significant shift in Nairobi's financial landscape. The card felt like a passport to a new world, offering a freedom that was a stark contrast to the old way of doing things. Before the card, getting money meant enduring long, patient waits in a bank queue—a time-consuming ritual. But the card changed everything, introducing a new kind of convenience.

The magic was in the machine itself. A simple flash of a green light and a whirring sound, and cash would appear, a physical manifestation of a digital promise. What Aladwa didn't realize then was the critical, invisible handshake happening in milliseconds behind the scenes—a secure communication between his bank's servers and the ATM.

This secure connection was the work of Kenswitch, a silent but pioneering force that became Kenya’s original financial switch. It was the crucial infrastructure that enabled this seamless transaction, turning a simple plastic card into a powerful tool for modern finance. Kenswitch became the bedrock of a connected payment network, ensuring that the trust Aladwa placed in the card was a symbol of a reliable and efficient system. This legacy of seamless payments laid the groundwork for the effortless transactions we rely on today, forever changing how Kenyans access their money.

Our Brand Heritage - A connected nation.

Years turned into a decade, and then two. The physical card, once a marvel, became a memory. Aladwa's daughter, Zara, didn't even use a physical wallet. Her world was on a small glass rectangle she held in her hand. Payments were made with a tap or a quick scan of a QR code.

She paid for her coffee with an app, sent money to her friends with a few taps, and even bought groceries without ever touching a note or a coin. It was fast, it was frictionless, and it was a different kind of magic. One evening, as Aladwa watched Zara pay for her mobile data, he pointed at her phone.

"You know," he said, "that instant payment you just made? It's the same idea as my old ATM card." Zara looked at him, intrigued. Aladwa explained how the same network of trust and reliability that enabled his card to work across different banks was now the silent engine behind her digital life.

It had simply evolved. Kenswitch, the foundation he had first trusted, had grown to become the heritage of a connected nation, adapting to the demands of a new generation. 






Kenswitch Today - An extensive network footprint and diversified financial services portfolio.

Extensive Network Footprint
The sheer scale of Kenswitch's network infrastructure highlights its importance to the Kenyan economy and financial inclusion. Its physical presence is anchored by a vast and interoperable system that includes more than 2,500 automated teller machines (ATMs), ensuring widespread access to cash services. Complementing this are over 50,000 agent banking outlets, which bring essential financial services closer to communities, and a substantial network of 40,000 domestic merchant point-of-sale (POS) terminals that facilitate commercial transactions across various businesses.

Diversified Financial Services Portfolio
Beyond traditional transaction switching, Kenswitch has substantially diversified its service offerings to meet the complex needs of modern finance. Key services now include end-to-end merchant POS management and comprehensive agency banking solutions. We are also invested in card issuance and management, providing the foundational tools for digital payments adoption.  Our platform supports the integration of other sector ecosystems, showcasing Kenswitch's commitment to building a resilient, secure, and fully inclusive financial infrastructure in Kenya.

We ensure world-class safety
for every transaction you make,
proactively adhering to PCI DSS
and ISO 27001 standards.

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Contacts

  • 5th Floor, Pitman House
  • Off Jakaya Kikwete Road
  • P.O. Box 28364 -00100 Nairobi, Kenya
  • Phone: +254 (0) 725 232 244
  • Email: info@kenswitch.com 

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