Kenya is moving toward a major overhaul of its payments framework through the proposed National Payment System Bill 2026, which could significantly reshape how payment service providers, wallets, gateways, acquirers and digital-asset payment businesses operate in the country.
The proposal is being advanced by the Central Bank of Kenya and National Treasury, with public consultation running until 9 October 2026.
Who Could Be Affected?
The proposed framework is expected to apply broadly across the payments ecosystem, including:
- payment service providers
- payment gateways
- merchant acquirers
- digital wallets
- remittance businesses
- electronic-money issuers
- fintech platforms
- virtual-asset providers offering payment services
This means the impact could go beyond traditional banks and extend to technology companies supporting online merchants and cross-border businesses.
Stronger Licensing and Capital Requirements
One of the key areas under review is capital adequacy and licensing.
Under the proposed framework, some categories of payment companies may face significantly higher minimum capital requirements, with electronic-money issuers potentially required to maintain capital of up to KES250 million.
The framework also strengthens the Central Bank’s powers around:
- inspections
- customer-fund safeguarding
- governance
- interoperability
- operational risk
- compliance monitoring
- management intervention
Why This Matters for iGaming and High-Risk Merchants
Kenya is one of Africa’s most important digital-payment markets.
Any major change to the regulation of PSPs, wallets and merchant-acquiring infrastructure could directly affect sectors such as:
- iGaming
- forex
- crypto
- digital services
- international online merchants
Gaming operators and high-risk merchants depend heavily on local payment partners for collections, payouts and settlement, so changes to PSP licensing could affect both availability and pricing.
Opportunity for International Providers
The proposed framework may also create opportunities.
International companies with strong compliance, capital and technology capabilities could find it easier to position themselves as serious long-term partners in Kenya.
Potential opportunities could emerge for:
- regulated PSPs
- compliance and KYC providers
- payment orchestration platforms
- fraud-prevention companies
- settlement providers
- stablecoin infrastructure companies
iBetAfrica Perspective
For iBetAfrica, Kenya’s proposed payment reforms are important because payment infrastructure remains one of the biggest factors influencing the success of gaming and other high-risk businesses in Africa.
A stronger regulatory framework could improve trust and payment reliability, but it may also increase the cost of market entry for smaller providers.
For international businesses considering Kenya, understanding the new requirements early will be critical.
