How to Check if a Loan App Is Licensed by CBK

Updated 17 October 2026

Kenya has hundreds of loan apps on the Play Store, but only companies licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) as digital credit providers are allowed to lend through them. Checking takes less than a minute: type the app or company name into the checker above, which searches CBK’s directory updated on 29 September 2026. This guide explains how the licensing works, how to find the right company name, and what to do if an app is not on the list.

Why CBK Licenses Loan Apps

Until 2021, most digital lenders in Kenya were unregulated. The Central Bank of Kenya (Amendment) Act 2021 brought non-deposit-taking digital credit providers under CBK, and the Digital Credit Providers Regulations 2022 set the rules they must follow on pricing disclosure, data protection and debt collection. Any company that lends through an app without a CBK licence is operating outside the law. CBK publishes a directory of licensed providers and adds new names as it approves them. Its directory dated 29 September 2026 lists 281 companies.

Looking at a forex or investment platform instead? Search the CMA register of licensed brokers and fund managers.

Step 1: Find the Company Behind the App

CBK licenses companies, not app names. Tala, for example, is operated by Inventure Mobile Limited, and Zenka by Zenka Digital Limited. To find the company behind an app:

• Open the app’s page on Google Play and scroll to the developer name and contact details.
• Read the loan agreement or terms and conditions inside the app, which must name the lender.
• Check the app’s website footer, which usually shows the registered company name.

For more than 30 popular apps, the checker above already knows the company and will match the brand name for you.

Step 2: Search the Checker

Type the company name, or at least one distinctive word from it. The checker ignores common words such as “Limited” and “Credit”, so “Inventure” finds Inventure Mobile Limited. A match shows Licensed, the date CBK licensed the company, and its listed phone number and office. If more than one company shares a word, every match is shown so you can pick the right one.

Step 3: Confirm the Details Match

A scam app can copy a real lender’s name. Compare the phone number, email domain and office in the checker result with what the app shows. If the app’s customer care number is a personal mobile number that does not match CBK’s record, be careful.

If the App Is Not on the List

The checker will say not found on the latest list and show the directory date. Before deciding, try the company’s full registered name and check for spelling differences. A lender licensed after 29 September 2026 will only appear once CBK publishes its next directory. Bank and microfinance bank loans, including mobile loans offered by banks, are licensed under different CBK lists and do not appear in the digital credit directory.

If you still cannot confirm the licence, do not install the app or grant it access to your contacts, photos or messages. Unlicensed apps are behind most reports of lenders harassing borrowers’ friends and family.

What a Licence Does and Does Not Mean

A licence means the lender is supervised and must disclose its full cost before you accept, follow data protection law and avoid abusive debt collection. It does not mean the loan is cheap. Published annual rates on licensed apps range from below 20% to well over 200%, so compare the total you will repay with our loan app cost checker before borrowing.

How to Report a Problem

If a licensed lender breaks the rules, for example by contacting people in your phonebook or charging undisclosed fees, raise it with the lender first and keep screenshots. If it is not resolved, you can complain to the Central Bank of Kenya. Misuse of your personal data can also be reported to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.

Related Pages

• Full list of CBK-licensed digital lenders
• Cheapest loan apps in Kenya
• Lender and Sacco licence checker