Banks have launched the Kenya Bankers Association Institute (KBA Institute) in latest bid to strengthen professional development and capacity building across the banking and financial services sector.

The platform’s launch on September 30, coincided with the signing of a collaboration agreement between KBAI and the Central Bank of Kenya Institute of Monetary Studies (CBK-IMS) to support joint training, professional certification, knowledge-sharing and research.

Deal brings together KBA Institute’s industry expertise and CBK-IMS’s regulatory and monetary policy expertise, providing a framework for the two institutions to develop and deliver training programmes that respond to the changing skills needs of banking professionals and the wider financial sector.

“KBAI and CBK-IMS will jointly develop and deliver short-term, modular, industry-focused training programmes covering areas such as credit risk management, risk and compliance management, treasury management, and leadership,” Kenya Bankers Association says in a statement.

“The programmes will also address emerging areas including artificial intelligence and machine learning in financial services, cybersecurity and digital resilience, virtual assets and financial innovation, data protection and digital governance, climate risk and sustainable finance, and financial inclusion,” KBA says.

Collaboration will also support the development and implementation of certification for banking professionals in Kenya. CBK-IMS will provide training and capacity-building programmes and bring regulatory expertise, while KBAI will lead curriculum development, examinations, participant registration, certification and professional membership.

The two institutions will also work to develop and implement an East African Community Banking Certification Programme, with a joint technical working group established to oversee the initiative.

The institute comes at a time when the banking sector is experiencing significant changes driven by technology, evolving customer needs, new risks and changing regulatory requirements. KBAI will provide a platform through which the industry can continuously build the skills and professional capabilities needed to respond to these changes.

The KBA Institute is the academic arm of the banking industry umbrella body, the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA), established to support the development of competent, ethical and future-ready professionals in the banking and financial services sector.

It provides industry-relevant and experiential learning for professionals across the banking and finance ecosystem. Its work includes professional training, certification and examinations, continuing professional development, member development, and advocacy and research.