President Uhuru Kenyatta officially opened the Central Bank of Kenya Kisii Centre on Wednesday.
The centre will serve seven counties in the region - Kisii, Nyamira, Migori, Bomet, Homa Bay,and parts of Narok and Kericho.
This represents a population of more than seven million people contributing about 12 percent of Kenya’s GDP, Central Bank said in a statement.
CBK said it has developed a network of branches over the years to improve access to services.
The branches are in Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret.
Centres have been established in Nyeri, Nakuru, Meru, and now Kisii.
The Kisii Centre is established under partnership with the Kenya Bankers Association and is located at the Absa Bank facilities opposite the Kisii County Government offices.
The centre will offer a wide range of services, including currency services to the public and bank branches in the region, opportunities for investment in government securities (Treasury bills and bonds), and general banking services to county governments.
CBK said the roof of the centre is equipped with solar panels that generate more than adequate supply for the centre, with the ability to feed back the excess power to the national grid.
“This facility is the first of it’s kind in Kenya and we need to be proud as a nation. Having this branch here will help banks to operate smoothly and economically,” Uhuru said.
He hailed the partnership between the Kenya Bankers Association and CBK. The Kisii centre was put up at the Absa building in the town and the president encouraged public and private partnerships.
"What the CBK is doing here is not only of service to mwananchi. It will also improve how the private sector interacts with citizens. This branch will reduce the cost of doing business and increase efficiency," Uhuru said.
CBK Governor Patrick Njoroge said the centre will to be involved in the distribution of notes and coins to commercial banks in the region.
It will further support smooth banking operations for both the private sector and public institutions in the region.
