Garissa Governor Nathif Jama cuts the ribbon to open DTB/STEPHEN ASTARIKO
Garissa
Governor Nathif Jama, after opening the DTB Garissa branch/STEPHEN ASTARIKOBanks have been urged to
spread their presence beyond urban centres and deepen investment in financial
literacy to better reach underserved rural communities.
Garissa Governor Nathif Jama said
banking services remain largely out of reach for many rural residents due to
low financial literacy and the long-standing concentration of banks in
Garissa town.
He made the remarks in Garissa town
during the opening of Diamond Trust Bank (DTB), its
first branch in Northern Kenya. The new branch is the 92nd in the country and 159th in East
Africa.
Jama said many households in
remote areas still depend on informal savings methods because they lack physical access to banking facilities and the confidence that comes with
financial knowledge.
He said for years, most
banks operated exclusively in Garissa town, leaving rural communities
unbanked and financially excluded.
Jama said it is time for financial
institutions to take services closer to the people and educate communities
on managing their finances, saving and borrowing responsibly.
The governor also challenged DTB to
design services that support small businesses, nurture industrial growth and
advance digital transformation, describing these areas as essential to
unlocking the region’s economic potential.
He welcomed DTB as the eighth bank
to invest in Garissa, calling its entry a sign of rising investor confidence in
the county.
Jama said the opening of a
new bank in the area signals economic activity and growth. He urged DTB to
strengthen its engagement with residents through Islamic finance products and
to expand services to all six subcounty headquarters.
Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed
Mwabudzo urged banks to prioritise girl-child
education and women’s economic empowerment as part of their corporate social
responsibility.
He highlighted persistent gender
disparity in education across the region and encouraged financial
institutions to offer solutions tailored to the community’s needs.
DTB Central and Eastern regional
manager Anthony Muiruri said the opening of the Garissa branch marks the
beginning of an ambitious expansion drive into Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit, Tana
River and other counties in Northern Kenya.
He said as part of the larger
Aga Khan Development Network, DTB’s presence could help attract complementary
investments from sectors such as insurance and tourism.
Muiruri said there are plans to establish
a branch in Masalani, Garissa, that currently has no banking
facility.
DTB head of retail banking George
Otiende announced the bank will make significant investments in
Sharia-compliant products to better serve the region’s predominantly Muslim
population, assuring residents the new branch would provide services
anchored on trust.
Garissa branch manager Hassan
Abdille urged residents to embrace the new branch, pledging to invest
in community outreach, financial inclusion initiatives and partnerships with
local organisations and county institutions.
