Interswitch Seals Deal with KCB to Advance Digital Payments in East Africa

Interswitch, an Africa-focused integrated payments and digital commerce enabler, has reaffirmed and expanded its longstanding partnership with KCB Group within the East Africa region, marking a significant milestone in the drive to accelerate seamless, secure, and inclusive digital payments across the region.

During a recent executive engagement at KCB Group Headquarters in Nairobi, Mitchell Elegbe, Interswitch’s founder and group CEO, led a cross-functional delegation from the company’s Lagos and Nairobi offices, including Bernard Kinara, Interswitch’s Kenya country general manager, in high-level discussions with KCB leadership, including Paul Russo, Group CEO, and Mark Mwongela, director of Strategy & Innovation.

The engagement reinforced both organizations’ shared commitment to scaling digital payment infrastructure and delivering innovative financial solutions that meet the evolving needs of individuals, businesses, and institutions across the region.

Interswitch recently announced an expansion of Verve card acceptance footprint in Kenya, leveraging it’s consolidated partnership with KCB Group, Kenya’s largest financial services group by assets, following a similar move in Uganda through the local KCB Franchise in February 2022.

At the core of the strengthened collaboration is the integration of Interswitch’s robust payment rails, card scheme, and emerging digital token solutions with KCB Group’s expansive regional footprint and trusted banking franchise.

This integration enables the acceptance of Verve cards and tokenized payment solutions across KCB’s extensive merchant point-of-sale network in Kenya and Uganda, significantly enhancing everyday usability for customers while strengthening KCB’s digitally driven retail payments offering.

The consolidated partnership is expected to drive increased merchant acquisition, improve interoperability across payment ecosystems, and expand access to secure, cashless transactions.

It also reinforces both organizations’ shared objective of deepening financial inclusion and accelerating digital commerce across East Africa.

Speaking on the strategic engagement with KCB Group, Mitchell Elegbe noted:

“Our collaboration with KCB Group represents a powerful alignment of vision and capability. By combining our technology-driven payment solutions with KCB’s strong regional presence, we are unlocking new opportunities to scale access, drive innovation, and deliver greater value to customers across East Africa.”

As digital transformation continues to reshape Africa’s financial services landscape, Interswitch and KCB Group remain focused on building resilient, interoperable systems that empower businesses, support economic growth, and drive broader participation in the digital economy.