Is Zenka Digital licensed by CBK in Kenya? (2026)

Yes. Zenka Digital was licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya on 27 March 2023, part of the early tranche under the CBK 2022 digital credit regulations. What that covers, plus the effective APR caveat that applies to short-term unsecured lenders.

by Arnold Ochieng Reviewed by Michael Mwangi 8 min read Updated 26 August 2026Verified 26 Aug 2026

The short answer

Yes. Zenka Digital appears in the Central Bank of Kenya register of non-deposit-taking credit providers, with a licence date of 27 March 2023 [Source 1]. Zenka was part of the early tranche of licensees CBK approved under the original 2022 Digital Credit Providers Regulations, which the 2024 amendments extended in scope.

What being CBK-licensed means for Zenka

The Business Laws (Amendment) Act No. 20 of 2024, in force 27 December 2024 [Source 2], continued CBK supervision of the pre-2024 licensees and expanded the perimeter to include asset finance, PAYGo, and BNPL. Section 33S sets criminal penalties for unlicensed operation. For Zenka and its customers, three practical protections attach:

Code of Conduct compliance. The CBK Digital Credit Providers Code of Conduct prohibits debt-shaming, calling third parties in the borrower contacts, threatening violence, misrepresenting a debt as owed to a court, and harassing calls outside business hours [Source 3].
Complaint route. If Zenka does not resolve an issue directly, borrowers can escalate to CBK Consumer Protection on 0800 720 000, then to court.
Ongoing supervision. Continued licence requires continued compliance.

Zenka's specific niche

Zenka is a short-term unsecured cash lender: small-ticket loans, disbursed to M-PESA, repaid over days or weeks. The product structure is similar to Tala, Branch, and other short-tenor digital lenders in the Kenyan market. Interest is priced as a fee rather than as a headline APR.

The APR caveat

As with the wider short-term unsecured category, Zenka's headline fee expressed as an effective APR is materially higher than the fee itself suggests, because the fee is applied over a short period. Treat the true effective APR as unverified beyond published headline rates.

The CBK licence does not require Zenka to publish an APR, and does not cap the effective rate. Licensing is about consumer protection process, not price disclosure. See why CBK licensing matters if you are borrowing for the honest scoping.

Context: how many are licensed

As of the CBK July 2026 press release, 252 non-deposit taking credit providers have been licensed out of more than 800 applications received since March 2022 [Source 4]. Zenka has held its licence continuously since March 2023.

How to verify Zenka yourself

Open the CBK non-deposit taking credit providers register (verify against CBK's own site).
Search for the exact registered name: Zenka Digital.
Confirm the licence date (27 March 2023).
Cross-check with the paybillke CBK Licence Checker.

For the general playbook, see how to check if a lender is licensed in Kenya, in 2 minutes.

Sources appendix

Central Bank of Kenya. Register of non-deposit-taking credit providers, April 2026 publication. Zenka Digital, licensed 27 March 2023.
Business Laws (Amendment) Act No. 20 of 2024, Republic of Kenya. In force 27 December 2024. Section 33S penalties for unlicensed non-deposit-taking credit business.
Central Bank of Kenya. Digital Credit Providers Code of Conduct, issued alongside the 2022 regulations and extended under the 2024 amendments.
Central Bank of Kenya press release, July 2026, citing 252 licensed non-deposit taking credit providers from more than 800 applications received since March 2022.

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