We trace our genesis back to a group of motivated Kenyans who envisioned an Islamic bank as an alternative to conventional banking in 2005. This bank would conduct business on the principles of Shari’ah and provide an ethical and fair banking for all. The bank would leverage strong links to between the Gulf and Africa to establish a channel for attractive investments in Kenya and its name would bear the symbol of partnership: The Gulf African Bank.
We became the first Islamic Bank in Kenya incorporated on August 9th 2006 and was fully operational on January 8th 2008 as Kenya’s first fully fledged commercial banking license from the Central Bank of Kenya as a dedicated Islamic bank.
Since 2008, we have been an active part of the growth seen in Kenya’s financial sector, offering a one-stop financing and business development centre for corporates, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and retail segments. We have a strong dedication to accelerating growth in the banking sector that will lead to economic development.