Kenyan banker James Mwangi’s Equity Group receives approval to acquire Spire Bank

Equity Group Holdings, a reputable financial services group led by Kenyan businessman James Mwangi, is set to acquire the financially distressed Spire Bank on Jan. 31, cementing its position as East Africa’s leading financial services group.

Following approval from both the National Treasury and the shareholders of both banks, the recent development marks the completion of a long-awaited merger.

“Pursuant to section 9 (1) of the Banking Act, the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Planning has granted approval for the acquisition of select assets and liabilities of Spire Bank Limited by Equity Group, led by James Mwangi,” Central Bank of Kenya Governor Patrick Njoroge stated in a gazette notice.

The new deal, modeled after the successful partnership between SBM and Chase Bank in August 2018, is set to be implemented on Jan. 31 and will result in the end of Mwalimu Sacco’s ownership of the bank, which they acquired for more than Ksh2.7 billion ($21.7 million) in 2014 from late Kenyan tycoon Naushad Merali.

The process of exiting the bank has not been as seamless as the initial acquisition, with Mwalimu Sacco citing the bank’s decline as beginning after the withdrawal of Naushad Merali’s deposits worth Ksh1.7 billion ($13.7 million), which represented a fifth of the bank’s total deposits.

Spire Bank’s financials for the first quarter of 2022 showed a loss of Ksh188 million ($1.51 million), bringing the total accumulated losses to Ksh9.7 billion ($77.9 million). In addition, the bank was in default on all CBK capital and liquidity ratios.

Despite a challenging macroeconomic environment that has increased the cost of living for East African teachers and other workers, Spire Bank has pursued a turnaround based on lower costs, loan recoveries, and the conversion of shareholder deposits into equity.

Equity Group, which has the financial and managerial strength to put Spire Bank back on track and pull it out of its recent financial difficulties, will get a good deal by accepting teachers’ deposits, as well as Ksh1.3 billion ($10.8 million) in liabilities and nearly Ksh900 million ($7.48 million) in assets linked to Spire Bank.

The acquisition may present additional challenges and opportunities for Equity Group, which reported profits in excess of $280 million in the first nine months of 2022 under the leadership of Kenyan multimillionaire businessman James Mwangi.

Mwangi, who has been instrumental in the growth and transformation of Kenya’s financial services industry, owns a sizable 3.38-percent stake in Equity Group.