List of Kenya's 10 Commercial Banks Paying Highest Returns on Deposits in 2025

• The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) released the commercial banks' average interest rates for June 2025
• According to the CBK data, most of the 38 banks pay high interest up to 10% on customers' fixed deposits
• SBM Bank Kenya, for instance, paid its customers an average interest rate of 9.77% on deposits and savings during the same period under review
• SBM Bank CEO Bhartesh Shah explained to TUKO.co.ke that the high returns on deposits help Kenyans to grow their financial well-being

Wycliffe Musalia has over six years of experience in financial, business, technology, climate, and health reporting, providing deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends. He currently works as a business editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Kenyans who save their money in banks are earning a high interest of up to 13% in 2025.

Data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) indicated commercial banks' average interest rates for June 2025.

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Why Kenyan banks pay high returns on deposits

According to SBM Bank Kenya CEO Bhartesh Shah, the high returns on deposits and savings help Kenyans to grow their financial well-being.

Shah also revealed that the rate of return varies depending on the amount and period the funds are deposited in a bank account.

"The bank's average cost of deposits in June was 9.77%. This means SBM paid its customers an average interest rate of above 9.5% on their deposits.

"This helps the common mwananchi grow financially and save for life events like school fees. Our deposit and savings account rates vary based on the amount of funds deposited and the tenor of the deposit," said Shah in an exclusive interview with TUKO.co.ke.

Which banks paid high returns on deposits in 2025?

1. SBM Bank Kenya - 9.77%
2. Commercial International Bank (CIB) Kenya Ltd - 9.99%
3. Access Bank Kenya Ltd - 10.11%
4. Paramount Bank Ltd - 10.42%
5. Development Bank of Kenya Ltd - 10.61%
6. Kingdom Bank Ltd - 10.63%
7. Equity Bank Kenya Ltd - 10.73%
8. Family Bank Limited 11.96%
9. Africa Banking Corporation (ABC) Ltd - 12.32%
10. Credit Bank PLC - 13.18%

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In May 2024, CBK reported that commercial bank customers earned KSh 62.7 billion in interest from fixed deposits.

The lenders increased interest paid on customer deposits by 67.2%, up from KSh 37.48 billion reported during a similar period in 2023.

What are the banks' lending rates?

Meanwhile, CBK also listed commercial banks with the average interest charged on loans.

In June 2025, the regulator lowered the base lending rate by 25 basis points to 9.75%, from 10%.

The bank said the average interest rates fell from 16.64% in January 2025 to 15.29 in June.

Most commercial banks are now charging up to 19% in loan interest during the same period under review.

Others charge between 12% and 15% for borrowers to access a loan in 2025.

Citibank N.A Kenya reported the lowest lending rates at 10.41%, followed by Stanbic Bank Kenya Limited at 12.42%.

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke