About CBK

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Establishment
The Central Bank of Kenya was established in 1966 through an Act of Parliament - the Central Bank of Kenya Act of 1966. The establishment of the Bank was a direct result of the desire among the three East African states to have independent monetary and financial policies. This led to the collapse of the East Africa Currency Board (EACB) in mid 1960s.

Following the promulgation of the new constitution on August 27th, 2010, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) is now established under Article 231 of the Constitution, 2010. Under this Article the Central Bank has the responsibility of formulating monetary policy, promoting price stability, issuing currency and performing any other functions conferred on it by an Act of Parliament.

The Constitution guides that “the Central Bank shall not be under the direction or control of any person or authority in the exercise of its powers or performance of its functions”.

Head Office, Branches and Currency Centres
The Bank operates from its Head Office in Nairobi and has branch offices in Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret. The Bank also runs Currency Centres in Nyeri, Nakuru and Meru. The Bank also has a major stake in the Kenya School of Monetary Studies (KSMS) which is headed by an executive director answerable to the Governor.