The Co-operative Bank of Kenya has invested Ksh1.2 billion in the tea sector, days after the bank joined the list of the top 25 largest banks in Africa as Kenyan lenders recorded the fastest growth in the continent, according to The Financial Times.
Co-op Bank reaffirmed its leadership in agricultural finance by backing the tea industry with a platinum sponsorship on July 3 and 4, 2025, at the inaugural Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Magazine launch and the unveiling of the Farmer First Mantra Prospectus, held in Nairobi.
As part of its efforts to empower smallholder tea farmers, Co-operative Bank has an ongoing partnership with Greenland Fedha, to enhance access to credit across the tea sector.
Through this arrangement, farmers can access instant loans ranging from Ksh100 to Ksh20,000 directly via their mobile phones, creating a convenient, barrier-free solution that eliminates delays and travel.
The partnership will provide farmers with access to approximately Ksh1.2 billion in short-term credit facilities, removing traditional barriers to agricultural financing and enabling real-time investment in inputs, tools, and farm improvements.
Co-operative Bank and KTDA partner to power tea sector developments
Speaking about the strategic partnership, Co-operative Bank Group Managing Director and CEO Dr. Gideon Muriuki emphasized the bank’s commitment to the sector.
“We have a long-standing history of supporting the co-operative sector in Kenya, including extensive engagement with the tea industry,” he said.
“Through our comprehensive financial solutions, we continue to empower the more than 260,000 smallholder tea farmers who form the backbone of Kenya’s tea industry, a key contributor to our national economy.”
Also Read: Co-operative Bank Owners, Branches & Loans Offered
The high-level event brought together representatives of more than 260,000 smallholder farmers, tea factory directors, and industry stakeholders.
It facilitated the launch of a comprehensive magazine aimed at providing farmers, partners, and stakeholders with deeper insights into Kenya’s tea industry and opportunities for active participation in its growth.
As a key financial partner for all nine KTDA subsidiaries and the majority of Kenya’s tea factories, Co-operative Bank manages a comprehensive suite of services including payment processing for tea proceeds, working capital financing, cash management solutions, and advisory services.
The bank’s strategic focus on the tea sector aligns with KTDA’s management of more than 55 per cent of Kenya’s tea production, making this partnership crucial for the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of farming families across the country.
Co-op joins Africa’s top 25 list
The new development comes days after Co-op Bank and NCBA Group joined KCB Group and Equity Group in the list of the top 25 largest banks in Africa.
Also Read: Billions KCB, Co-op, NCBA & Other Top Kenyan Banks Have Made So Far in 2025
The Financial Times‘ latest listing of the World’s top 1,000 banks shows that Co-op was the second fastest growing lender in Africa with an expansion of 39.2 per cent.
The lender was the third highest ranked Kenyan bank at position 22 in Africa and 864 globally as per a listing of the world’s largest banks that is published by FT‘s The Banker magazine.
The Banker ranks the world’s top lenders based on a number of parameters, including the size of shareholders’ own capital (tier 1 capital), profitability, operational efficiency, asset quality, liquidity and return on risk.
With a return on assets of 3.43 per cent, Co-op Bank was ranked fifth in utilizing its balance sheet.
For the first time, the fast growth of Kenyan banks saw them outrank West African lenders, which have subsidiaries operating in the local market.
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