Barclays Bank of Kenya has come out to assure its customers that it will not be leaving the local market. The reassurance follows reports that Barclays Bank of Kenya’s parent company, Barclays Plc, is planning to sell of its African business.
In a statement issued by bank on Sunday, Barclays Bank said that it will not shut down, and instead will focus on implementing its growth strategy. “There are no plans at a local, regional and group level to shut it down. Your accounts are and continue to be safe and are not impacted in any way,” said the bank.
Barclays Bank of Kenya further noted that the on-going speculations are restricted to the shareholding of Barclays Africa Group and do not have any impact on the running of the Kenyan outfit.
The speculation concerns shareholding of Barclays Africa Group ltd and does not impact the day to day running of BBK.”Your deposits are safe and the operation of your account will not be impacted. The speculation concerns shareholding of Barclays Africa Group ltd and does not impact the day to day running of Barclays Bank of Kenya.”
The bank has been in operation since 1916 and was the first bank to introduce Sharia compliant banking, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and unsecured lending services.
Currently, Barclays has presence in 38 counties, 121 branches, and 229 ATMs.
“By laying the right foundation, we will launch this bank firmly on the path to a successful future. The responsibility on us is therefore enormous, yet it is not insurmountable. We have a sound strategy that we are relying on to launch us firmly into our next century which will be underpinned with firm and tangible commitments to our stakeholders,” said Jeremy Awori, the managing director at Barclays Bank of Kenya. “I am confident that this strategy, which is anchored on ramping up our existing businesses while doubling our focus on SMEs, Women, Youth and Innovation, will act as a solid launch pad into the future of Barclays because we have the right tools and people to make it work.”