Kenya is being challenged to ensure the availability of a reliable payment infrastructure which will cement the country’s position as a regional business hub.
Speaking during a roundtable organize by Verto in Nairobi, industry players called for stronger collaboration between regulators, financial institutions, fintechs, and infrastructure providers in order to support innovation while safeguarding the stability of the financial system.
According to stakeholders, the reliability of Kenya’s payments infrastructure will give the country a competitive advantage backed by continued investment in back-end systems, rather than just consumer-facing products.
Verto Director of Sales Mark Mwaniki said the next phase of Kenya’s payment infrastructure will be defined by how well it supports businesses operating at scale. This includes the need for faster settlement, greater interoperability, and infrastructure that can support increasingly complex domestic and cross-border transactions.
“Kenya has proven what is possible when innovation meets strong demand, but the conversation now needs to shift to infrastructure,” said Mwaniki. “Businesses want payments that move as fast as their operations do. That means fewer intermediaries, clearer pricing, and systems that can handle both local and cross-border transactions without friction.”
It was noted that while consumers have benefited significantly from digital payments, many small and medium-sized enterprises still face challenges when moving money across borders, managing foreign exchange, or reconciling payments across multiple channels.
These gaps, they argued, increase costs and slow down growth, particularly for companies trading within Africa and beyond.
The future is not about replacing what already works. It’s about connecting systems in a way that allows money to move efficiently, securely, and transparently, whether it’s within Kenya or across multiple markets,” added Mwaniki.
The roundtable also explored the importance of collaboration between regulators, financial institutions, fintechs, and infrastructure providers. Speakers agreed that regulatory clarity and open dialogue would be critical in supporting innovation while safeguarding the stability of the financial system.
