Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) has disbursed Ksh10 billion in digital loans over the past six months as the lender accelerates its push into retail, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
The bank said the digital loans were extended to customers across its East African operations as it expanded its digital platforms and customer acquisition strategy.
DTB Group's customer base rose by 44 per cent over the past year to 5.9 million customers by June 2026, with the lender revealing that 99 per cent of new customers were onboarded digitally.
The growth coincided with a strong financial performance, with DTB recording a 37 per cent increase in pre-tax profit to Ksh9.8 billion for the six months ended June 2026.
DTB Finance and Strategy Director Alkarim Jiwa said digital channels had become central to how the bank was acquiring and serving customers.
“Instructively, 99% of all new customers acquired over the past year were onboarded through our digital platforms and over 86% of all customer transactions were conducted on our digital channels,” Jiwa said.
He added that the bank's investment in digital systems and partnerships had enabled it to extend Ksh10 billion in digital loans to retail and MSME customers during the first half of the year.
The lender's increased digital activity comes as its overall loan book expanded by 14 per cent over the past year to Ksh328 billion.
Customer deposits also increased by 11 per cent to Ksh534 billion, while total assets crossed Ksh675 billion, representing growth of more than 10 per cent.
DTB's improved financial performance was driven by a 21 per cent increase in total revenue. Net interest income rose by 26 per cent, while non-interest income increased by 7 per cent.
At the same time, operating costs grew by only 6 per cent, helping support the sharp rise in profitability.
The bank also reported an improvement in the quality of its loan book, with its non-performing loan ratio falling from 13 per cent to 11.6 per cent.
DTB said it had simultaneously increased its specific provision coverage ratio from 40.7 per cent to 56.6 per cent, providing greater coverage against non-performing loans.
The lender is also pursuing an expansion of its physical footprint despite its growing reliance on digital banking.
DTB Kenya Managing Director Murali Natarajan said the bank plans to open its 100th branch in Kenya by Christmas, taking its total branch network across East Africa to 163.
“By Christmas this year we are set to open our 100th branch in Kenya, growing our total network to 163 across East Africa,” Natarajan said.
He said the combination of physical branches and digital channels would allow DTB to expand its retail, SME and mid-market portfolios.
The bank is also targeting new sectors beyond its traditional focus on trade, manufacturing, real estate, construction, tourism and transport.
“We are increasingly also diversifying into new focus sectors such as agriculture, education, public sector agencies, etc. through partnerships with key anchors in those ecosystems and the provision of bespoke digital solutions and platforms benefiting the various participants in those ecosystems,” Natarajan said.
DTB is further preparing to automate more of its operations, including through robotic process automation and artificial intelligence.
Jiwa said the bank was exploring agentic AI solutions to improve customer service, controls and compliance. “The Group is also looking at deploying agentic Artificial Intelligence solutions to improve customer experience and delivery, controls and compliance as we reposition DTB for sustained growth and profitability,” he said.
The developments point to a banking model increasingly built around digital customer acquisition and lending while maintaining an expanding physical branch network.
For customers and small businesses, the biggest shift is likely to be the growing role of digital platforms in accessing banking services, particularly loans, as DTB seeks to expand its retail and MSME customer base.