The Central Bank of Kenya marks sixty years

The Central Bank of Kenya was established on 14 September 1966 and marked its sixtieth anniversary this month. The Bank set the week of 13 to 18 September 2026 aside for the occasion, combining high-level meetings with commemorative events honouring six decades of work on Kenya's economic growth.

A week of meetings and commemoration

The Bank hosted the 2026 Annual Meetings of the Association of African Central Banks at the Central Bank of Kenya Institute of Monetary Studies in Nairobi, bringing central bank governors, financial regulators, commercial banks, researchers and international experts to the city for the week.

Its own inaugural AI Conference followed on 16 September, with attention to the responsible application of artificial intelligence in monetary policy, financial stability, financial integrity, regulation and supervision, and data analytics. The AACB Symposium of Governors met on 17 September under the theme “African Monetary Integration and Financial Sovereignty: Strategic Perspectives in Reducing the Continent's Dependence on International Institutions”, and a gala dinner was held that evening with the President of the Republic as chief guest. The Assembly of Governors closed the week.

Sixty years, recorded and planted

Alongside the meetings, the Bank published the CBK@60 docuseries, which honours the governors who have served over the six decades through interviews on their terms in office, the challenges they faced and the milestones of their tenure. Industry leaders and corporate governance experts contributed reflections on working with the Bank, on the regulatory milestones that shaped its course, and on where it should go next.

The Bank also launched CBK@60 Green Spaces, a tree-growing initiative at Karura Forest in Nairobi in support of Kenya's national tree-growing campaign, which it framed as a matter of environmental conservation, staff wellness and teamwork.

AFRACA congratulates the Governor, the Board and the staff of the Central Bank of Kenya on sixty years of service to Kenya's financial system.