Healthcare-related borrowing from Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs) has emerged as the fastest-growing loan category in Kenya.
According to the SACCO Regulation Societies Regulation Authority (SASRA) Quarterly Statistical and Soundness Report Q1:2026, credit disbursed to the human health sector grew by 31.03 percent in the year to March 2026.
“Credit disbursed to the human health sector recorded the highest year-on-year growth among all sectors, rising by 31.03 percent in March 2026,” the SASRA report revealed.
Further, the report showed that borrowing in the health sector had the highest growth rate among all major sectors financed by regulated SACCOs.
SACCOs Human Health Loans
Loans advanced to the health sector rose to KSh2.79 billion in March 2026, up from KSh2.13 billion in March 2025.
Further, the human health loan sector experienced growth throughout 2025, with the lending rising to KSh2.66 billion in June.
Additionally, in September, health loans from the SACCOs were reported at KSh3.24 billion, later peaking at KSh3.73 billion in December.
Also Read: Govt Lifts Ban on New SACCO Registrations, Sets Tough Rules
In the first quarter of 2026, the human health loans increased, outpacing growth in education loans, which expanded by 27.12 percent, and land and housing loans, which grew by 18.01 percent over the same period.
The Sectoral Lending Distribution in the report further indicated that 100% of the KSh 2.79 billion in credit disbursed was allocated specifically to human health and related services.
Although healthcare borrowing remained smaller than lending to sectors such as housing and education, it currently holds the fastest credit growth.
Overall, SACCO lending increased by 16.23 percent to KSh115.73 billion in March 2026 from KSh99.57 billion in March 2025.
Despite the rapid growth in medical-related borrowing, land and housing remained the largest recipients of SACCO credit at KSh33.74 billion, followed by education at KSh24.81 billion.
Also Read: NTSA Suspends Licensing of New Saccos For 2 Years
SACCO Assets and Wealth Control
Deposit-Taking (DT-SACCOs) remained the dominant force in the industry, holding assets worth KSh1.07 trillion compared to KSh139.92 billion for Non-Withdrawable Deposit-Taking (NWDT-SACCOs).
Following dominance in the wealth control, the DT-SACCOs accounted for approximately 88.4 percent of all regulated SACCO assets.
In addition, the DT-SACCOs held KSh763.52 billion in deposits and KSh226.01 billion in reserves, while NWDT-SACCOs recorded total deposits of KSh106.49 billion and reverse wealth of KSh21.52 billion.
Further, in the income generation, DT-SACCOs reported KSh42.14 billion during the quarter, more than ten times the KSh4.11 billion earned by NWDT-SACCOs.
The SACCOs industry’s total assets stood at KSh1.21 trillion as of March 2026, with gross loans rising to KSh950.93 billion and deposits reaching KSh870.02 billion, according to the SASRA report.
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