Payments made through point-of-sale terminals reached Sh297 billion in 2025 Kenswitch chief executive John Mukono /HANDOUT Competition in Kenya’s payments market is set to intensify following the entry of new local player into the card business, giving banks a local alternative to global payment networks Visa and Mastercard.
The move marks Kenswitch expansion of the fintech’s role from routing transactions between financial institutions to operating a domestic card scheme for issuing and accepting payment cards. According chief executive John Mukono the move is positioning its scheme as a local infrastructure option for banks seeking to launch card products without relying entirely on international card networks.
“Our domestic card proposition is an important step in strengthening Kenya’s own payments capabilities and giving financial institutions an additional platform for domestic card issuance and transactions,” said Mukono. The launch comes as Kenya’s card payments market continues to expand, with millions of consumers using debit, prepaid and credit cards for purchases and cash withdrawals.
Central Bank of Kenya data shows that the number of payment cards stood at 13.76 million in July 2026. Debit cards accounted for 11.16 million, followed by 2.26 million prepaid cards and about 341,000 credit cards. Payments made through point-of-sale terminals reached Sh297 billion in 2025.
CBK’s monthly figures show that POS transactions were worth Sh176.9 billion in the first seven months of 2026, excluding cash withdrawals. Kenswitch said its network currently connects more than 2,200 ATMs, 50,000 point-of-sale terminals and 80,000 agent outlets.
Customers will obtain the cards through participating financial institutions, while Kenswitch is also developing support for contactless payments through smartphones and digital wallets.