The Best Bank in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Enablement award at the Visa Client and Partner Awards 2025 was presented to Co-op Bank Kenya, recognizing the bank for innovation in card issuing and merchant acquiring and its contribution to improving financial access and operational efficiency for small businesses across the country.
The awards ceremony, held at Ole Sereni, Nairobi, brought together leading financial institutions, payment industry stakeholders, and regulatory representatives from across East Africa, creating a platform to evaluate and celebrate achievements in digital payment solutions and merchant services.
Co-op Bank’s recognition reflects its strategic focus on providing technology-driven financial solutions tailored to the needs of MSMEs, facilitating seamless transactions, improving access to credit, and supporting business expansion, positioning the bank as a key enabler of Kenya’s entrepreneurial sector.
Representatives from Co-op Bank at the event included Linda Mango, Head of Card Payments Department, and Andrew Njuguna, Head of Card Issuing, while Chad Pollock, Vice President and General Manager at Visa East Africa, and John Njoroge, Country Manager at Visa Kenya, attended, demonstrating collaboration between the bank and payment networks to support financial inclusion.
The award demonstrates Co-op Bank’s role in promoting digital payment adoption and supporting MSMEs with tailored card and merchant solutions, enabling businesses to manage operations efficiently, expand customer reach, and integrate with modern payment systems.
Executives said that the recognition results from sustained investment in technology, staff training, and customer engagement initiatives, which have enhanced the bank’s capacity to deliver competitive, accessible, and reliable financial products to small businesses throughout Kenya.
Co-op Bank expressed gratitude to Visa for the recognition and attributed the achievement to its teams, noting the continued commitment to innovation, customer service, and financial inclusion as central to the bank’s strategy.
