Standard Chartered Kenya scoops top trade finance and capital efficiency awards
By Editorial Team
Nairobi, Kenya: May 1, 2026- Standard Chartered Bank Kenya has won seven awards at the Think Business Banking Awards 2026, standing out in a year marked by tight liquidity, rising private sector credit, and increasingly complex supply chains.
The bank took top honours as Best Bank in Trade Financing and Best Bank in Strategic Consolidation and Capital Efficiency. The wins highlight its strong execution in trade flows and effective balance sheet management for business clients.
The Trade Financing award reflects the bank’s push to digitise trade and working capital solutions. It has expanded access to risk mitigation tools while supporting both cross-border and domestic trade for financial institutions, corporates, and SMEs. More than 90 percent of supplier finance, guarantees, letters of credit, invoice finance, and short-term loan transactions are now processed through its Straight2Bank platform, boosting speed, transparency, and control for clients.
The Strategic Consolidation and Capital Efficiency award recognises the bank’s ability to simplify structures, optimise capital deployment, and unlock liquidity for clients. It has scaled up risk distribution and partnership-driven models to manage capital and risk more efficiently while continuing to finance the real economy. This includes a 100 million US dollar trade finance partnership with British International Investment, expected to unlock over 450 million US dollars in trade flows.
Speaking after the win, Chief Executive Officer and Head of Coverage Birju Sanghrajka said Kenyan businesses are operating in a tighter capital environment and a more competitive market.
“These awards reflect the practical outcomes we are focused on, including faster turnaround in trade finance, proactive risk management advice, and solutions that support cross-border business,” he said.
In addition to the two major wins, the bank was named first runner-up in Sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility and Capital Strength and Resilience. It also secured second runner-up positions in Tier 1 Banking, SME Banking, and Product Marketing, underlining its strong performance across customer offerings and market engagement.
