Central Bank of Kenya Prudential Regulations and the Financial Performance of Digital Credit Providers in Nairobi City County
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Date
2023
Authors
Kuya, Jeremiah Obote
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
The study problem of this research was financial performance of digital credit providers in
Kenya. This was because digital lenders reaped huge profits at the expense of the borrower
whom they charged usurious loan rates that pushed borrowers into deeper poverty traps.
Therefore, the government regulated the digital credit sector so as to protect borrowers from
exorbitant interest rates through the Central Bank of Kenya prudential regulations of 2021. The
study embarked on establishing the effect of the Central Bank of Kenya prudential regulation on
the performance of digital credit providers financially in Nairobi City County, which was the
main objective. The three specific objectives of the study were to assess the effect of Central
Bank of Kenya prudential regulations that were pricing parameter regulation, pricing principle
regulation, and credit information regulation on the financial performance of digital credit
providers in Nairobi City County. The study conducted an in-depth literature review on
prudential regulations. The study was anchored on four theories namely micro-loan borrowing
rates and default theory, bank risk management theory, loanable funds theory, & loan pricing
theory. With regards to research methodology, the study adopted a descriptive research design.
The target population of the study was all the 20 digital credit providers licensed by Central
Bank of Kenya in Nairobi City County. Census sampling technique was applied. The study used
secondary data that was quantitative, which was collected through use of a secondary data
collection template. The study analysed quantitative data that was obtained through the use of
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. The study used a regression model to
show the relationship between Central Bank of Kenya prudential regulations and performance of
digital credit providers financially in Nairobi City County, Kenya. Financial performance was
measured using Return on Equity. The diagnostic tests applied entail multicollinearity test,
normality test, heteroscedasticity test, model specific test, autocorrelation, and stationarity test.
The correlation results established that pricing parameter regulation and performance of Digital
Credit Providers financially in terms of Return On Equity are positively and significantly related.
With regards to research summary and findings, the regression results in the Return On Equity
model showed that the Central Bank of Kenya prudential regulations influenced performance of
Digital Credit Providers positively by 60% since the R2 was 0.602 & adjusted R2 was 0.599. The
regression results for correlation coefficients for Return On Equity showed that pricing
parameter, pricing principle, and credit information variables had r values of 0.538, 0.195, and
0.654 respectively and they all had p-values of 0.000, which proved that the three null
hypotheses were true. Regression of coefficients results established that the three variables of the
study and performance of Digital Credit Providers in financial terms were positively &
significantly related. Additionally, the study applied hypothesis testing, which established that
the Central Bank of Kenya prudential regulations had a significant effect on performance of
Digital Credit Providers financially in Nairobi City County. The study concluded that three
prudential regulations of Central Bank of Kenya’s had a positive & significant effect on
performance of Digital Credit Providers in Nairobi City County. The study recommended that
Central Bank of Kenya can implement interest capping for Digital Credit Providers to protect
borrowers from being charged usurious interest rates that pushes them into deeper poverty traps.
The study also recommended that Central Bank of Kenya to incorporate risk-based lending
approach in their credit information regulation.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School of Business,
Economics, and Tourism in Partial Fulfilment for the Award of
Degree in Master of Business Administration in Finance of
Kenyatta University
Keywords
Central Bank of Kenya, Prudential Regulations, Financial Performance, Digital Credit, Nairobi City County