10 February 2020

Barclays Bank of Kenya has officially changed name to Absa Bank Kenya PLC, effective Monday, 10 February, 2020 following all necessary regulatory approvals.

Absa Bank Kenya PLC Managing Director Jeremy Awori said the name change is the culmination of a transition journey which the bank has undertaking over the last four years.

“Today we begin a new chapter as Absa Bank Kenya, adopting our new name and exciting brand while retaining our indelible commitment to Kenya and its people. This is a major milestone for our business and we will be engaging stakeholders in the coming days to celebrate the successful launch of the Absa brand,” Mr Awori.

Formerly known as Barclays Bank of Kenya, the name change marks the start of a new era for the bank that has operated in Kenya for close to 104 years.

Following receipt of all regulatory approvals, Barclays Life Assurance Kenya Limited has also changed to Absa Life Assurance Kenya Limited effective 10 February, 2020.

He added: “Over the years, we have invested in crucial sectors of development of the national economy, including SMEs, agriculture, trade, agriculture and infrastructure. We will continue to play a critical role by investing in these sectors while offering holistic financial services to individuals, small businesses and large organisations alike.”

We would like to notify our customers that:

  • There will be no change to their account details, and they will continue to do their banking transactions smoothly.
  • There will be no fee changes associated with our name change for our customers.
  • Our branches will continue to operate as usual, during our normal banking hours.
  • All new cards issued will be under the Absa brand from today.
  • Barclays’ cards will continue to work as normal until their date of expiry.
  • Both Barclays and Absa cards will continue to work in ATMs, point-of-sale (POS) terminals and online, as usual.

Customers are urged to be particularly vigilant during this time, as fraudsters are always looking for opportunities to obtain important personal information. The bank will not be asking customers for any information regarding their accounts. 

“I would like to appreciate all our regulators – the Central Bank, the Capital Markets Authority as well as the Nairobi Securities Exchange for the invaluable support accorded us throughout this exciting journey,” Mr Awori said.

For more information, please contact Charles Wokabi at Charles.Wokabi@absa.africa