The proposed transaction will see Kenyaās biggest lender by assets acquire Banque Populaire du Rwanda PlcĀ (BPR) and the African Banking Corporation Tanzania (BancABC).
The transaction is subject to obtaining shareholder and regulatory approvals in Rwanda and Tanzania.
KCB Group has signed a deal with London-listed financial services firm Atlas Mara Limited to buy stakes in it's banking units in Rwanda and Tanzania, its chief executive Joshua Oigara announced on Thursday.
The proposed transaction will see Kenyaās biggest lender by assets acquire Banque Populaire du Rwanda PlcĀ (BPR) and the African Banking Corporation Tanzania (BancABC), strengthening its business in the two countries.
Under the proposed dealĀ KCB will the acquire a 62.06 per cent stake in Banque Populaire du RwandaĀ Plc and a 100 per cent stake in African Banking Corporation Tanzania.
The transaction is subject to obtaining shareholder and regulatory approvals in Rwanda and Tanzania.
In a statement, Mr Oigara said the transaction is part of KCBāsĀ "ongoing strategy to explore opportunities for new growth while investing in andĀ maximising returns from the Groupās existing businesses."
The acquisition, he added, will buttress the Groupās leadership position and give it a stronger edge to play a bigger role in driving the financial inclusion agenda in the East African region while building a robust and financially sustainable organization.
āThe transaction fits within the Groupās expansion strategy and will see us increaseĀ our market share and distribution network across Rwanda and Tanzania andĀ improve our operating leverage by enabling us to deliver our existing productĀ offerings to a wider base of customers while positioning the bank for sustainableĀ growth in the long-term,ā Mr Oigara said.
āOnce the transaction is completed, the Groupās Rwanda and Tanzania businesses are expected to have stronger financial credentials to support business growth in the post Covid-19 macroeconomic recovery.ā
In Rwanda the acquisition is expected to see KCB double its market share to become the second largest bank in the country and solidify KCB Groupās leadership position.
In Tanzania, the subsequent merger of BancABC with KCB Bank Tanzania, a subsidiary of KCB Group, will integrate KCB Tanzaniaās strong retail and corporate banking franchise with BancABCās retail and commercial banking operations.
The merged entity is expected to rank as a top ten bank in the industry.
āOur growth strategy is premised on both organic and inorganic plans and we shall continue to seek opportunities that increase our shareholderās value,ā said Oigara.
KCB currently has operations in six countries ā Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudanā and a representative office in Ethiopia.
The KCB deal comes months after Equity Bank Group called off its plan to acquire four banking subsidiaries from Atlas Mara Limited in a move aimed at preserving its capital in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The parties had initiated talks in April last year, but the negotiations targeting Atlas Maraās units in Rwanda, Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique dragged on until the pandemic hit.
The London-listed firm had said then it would seek another buyer for the four banks after the Equity deal collapsed.