Kenya’s President William Ruto has attended the launch of Ziidi Trader, a mobile trading platform that allows ordinary Kenyans to buy and sell shares on the Nairobi Securities Exchange without a traditional brokerage account.
Jointly launched by Safaricom PLC and Kestrel Capital on Wednesday and integrated into the M-PESA app, the platform targets retail investors, particularly youth, women, and micro, small, and medium enterprises, providing access to shares, bonds, and other NSE-listed products directly from their mobile wallets.
Investors using Ziidi Trader do not need individual Central Depository System accounts, as M-PESA pools funds into a single account managed by Kestrel Capital, reducing trading costs and enabling faster execution.
“This platform opens the doors of market participation wider than ever before,” President Ruto said, describing it as a turning point for citizen engagement in Kenya’s capital markets.
The initiative is regulated by the Capital Markets Authority, aiming at ensuring transparency and investor protection while promoting long-term, informed investing.
Frank Mwiti, CEO of NSE was quoted as saying that “the platform could broaden market participation and attract both domestic and international investors.”
The launch comes as NSE recorded strong growth, with market capitalisation rising 47.9 percent over the past year, from KSh 1.97 trillion to KSh 3 trillion, reflecting increased investor confidence and renewed global interest.
Ziidi Trader is now available through the Financial Services tab on M-PESA, allowing customers to invest and enhance participation in Kenya’s capital markets.
MG/as/APA
