Burundi emerges as fastest-growing bank market as DRC crosses Sh1 trillion mark in bank assets

Burundi has emerged as the fastest-growing market by assets for Kenyan bank subsidiaries despite its dismal share of overall profitability.

Assets held by KCB and DTB, two Kenyan banks operating in the country, grew by nearly 30 per cent in the year ended December 2025, while the assets of Kenyan banks operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) surpassed the Sh1 trillion mark.

Statistics by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) show total assets for subsidiaries operating in DRC grew by 7.9 per cent in 2025. This is from Sh933.4 billion in 2024 to Sh1 trillion by the end of last year.

This solidifies the role of DRC as the largest market for Kenyan banks operating across the borders in terms of asset size.

KCB Group and Equity Group Holdings are the two banks operating in DRC. Combined, they have 190 branches: 109 for KCB Group and 81 for Equity Group Holdings.

However, while DRC hosts subsidiaries with the largest asset base, Burundi has the most potential for growth, according to the CBK report. KCB Group and Diamond Trust Bank Group are the two Kenyan institutions operating in Burundi. Combined, they have 12 branches.

The Bank Supervision Annual Report 2025 shows total assets for subsidiaries operating in the country had the fastest growth, at 28.1 per cent. This is from Sh22.2 billion in 2024 to Sh28.4 billion.

Burundi’s fastest growth in assets was followed by Rwanda’s at 25.6 per cent with Mauritius, where only  I&M Group operates, recording a growth of 22.5 per cent.

In Rwanda, the growth in assets was from Sh315.6 billion in 2024 to Sh396.2 billion in 2025. In Mauritius, where I&M Group owns 50 per cent shareholding in Bank One Limited, the growth in assets was from Sh152.7 billion in 2024 to Sh187 billion in 2025.

I&M Group operates eight branches in Mauritius.

In Rwanda, there are 149 branches shared among KCB Group, Equity Group Holdings, NCBA Group, I&M Group, and Guaranty Trust Bank.

The largest share of the asset base for all subsidiaries was accumulated in DRC, standing at 41 per cent of total Sh2.5 trillion. However, this 41 per cent share is a drop compared to 43.5 per cent in 2024.

The drop is largely as a result of Burundi’s fastest growth in asset base that claimed 1.2 per cent in 2025 compared to one per cent in 2024, Mauritius growth to 7.6 per cent from 7.1 per cent, Rwanda to 16.1 per cent from 14.7 per cent and Tanzania’s 14.6 per cent from 14.2 per cent.

Uganda and South Sudan retained their respective share of total assets at 16.9 per cent and 2.6 per cent, respectively.

“Total assets of subsidiaries stood at Sh2.5 trillion as at December 31, 2025, compared to Sh2.1 billion as at December 31, 2024. A significant contributor to the asset base was Equity Group Plc’s subsidiary in DRC, Banque Commerciale Du Congo (BCDC) with total assets of Sh709 billion, and KCB Group’s subsidiary in DRC, Trust Merchant Bank with the total assets of Sh297.6 billion,” the report says.

The report documents that regional subsidiaries’ profit before tax stood at Sh87.6 billion as at December 31, 2025, an increase of 19.4 per cent from Sh73.36 billion in 2024.

It explains that the increase was mainly due to higher net interest and non-funded income.

“DRC contributed to the highest earning capacity, recording Sh43.2 billion in profit, translating to 49.3 per cent of the total profits,” the CBK report says.

Subsidiaries operating in Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda contributed 18.8 per cent, 15.3 per cent and 10.1 per cent of the total subsidiaries' profits respectively.

The profits for DRC and Rwanda were driven by Equity Group Plc’s subsidiary, Banque Commerciale Du Congo -BCDC, and Equity Bank Rwanda Plc, respectively.

In Tanzania, the profits were driven by KCB Group Plc’s subsidiary in KCB Bank Tanzania Plc.

This is as Equity Group Plc’s subsidiary in DRC, Banque Commerciale Du Congo- BCDC, profits accounted for 36.5 per cent of the overall subsidiaries' profits.

“Subsidiaries operating in South Sudan, Mauritius and Burundi were the least profitable and contributed 3.4 per cent, two per cent and 1.1 per cent of the total profits respectively,” the report says.