For years, the corporate narrative surrounding Equity Group Holdings Plc was anchored squarely on its massive dominance within the Kenyan banking sector. However, the Group’s first-quarter results for 2026 have officially upended that legacy playbook.

Regional banking subsidiaries performance breakdown

Subsidiary / Region Q1 2026 Profit After Tax (PAT) Year-on-Year (YoY) Growth Contribution to Group Banking Operations Key Highlight
Equity Bank Kenya KSh 10.3 Billion ▲ 21% 50% of Profitability Disbursed 36.2% of all MSME loans in Kenya (Q1)
Equity BCDC (DRC) KSh 5.0 Billion ▲ 32% Part of the 50% regional profit contribution Solidified position as the largest regional subsidiary
Equity Rwanda KSh 1.5 Billion ▲ 36% Part of the 50% regional profit contribution Sustained high double-digit growth momentum
Equity Tanzania KSh 1.04 Billion ▲ 150% Part of the 50% regional profit contribution Highest explosive growth rate across the Group
Total Regional (Excl. Kenya) – –

52% of Total Assets

54% of Loan Book

51% of Total Revenue

 Officially reached maturity as a pan-African champion

Equity Insurance

This momentum was balanced across multiple lines of business: life insurance remained the primary volume catalyst at Ksh. 2.7 billion, while the health portfolio contributed Ksh. 1.2 billion.

Insurance Business Segment Gross Written Premiums (GWP) Segment Performance & Highlights
Life Insurance KSh 2.7 Billion Main volume driver of the insurance segment
Health Insurance KSh 1.2 Billion Rapidly scaling portfolio
General Insurance KSh 0.6 Billion Growing niche segment
Total Insurance Group (GWP) KSh 4.5 Billion ▲ 30% YoY Growth
Insurance Profit Before Tax (PBT) KSh 0.64 Billion ▲ 53% YoY Growth

By relying on multiple regional engines and diversifying into high-margin segments like underwriting, Equity Group has effectively insulated itself against localized macroeconomic shocks.